Blue Jays' Romano tries to stay positive during 'incredibly frustrating' time on IL

TORONTO -- Jordan Romano has a mental trick he uses to pick himself up during rough days.

The Toronto Blue Jays closer is currently on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and, as a result, he admits there have been plenty of mornings where his mood is not great.

When that's the case, Romano will treat his entrance into the ballpark almost like the flip of a switch.

"It's just been incredibly frustrating," Romano says. "But once I get in the building, I'm going to try to help out all my teammates. I'll keep my spirits high because no one wants to be the guy that's just down. So, I'm just trying to stay positive and help out how I can, even though I'm not playing."

The 2024 campaign has been a rough one for Romano. He dealt with right elbow soreness in spring training that caused him to miss the start of the season and, after returning in mid-April, he was uncharacteristically inconsistent on the mound. The right-hander owns a 6.59 ERA and has allowed 16 hits over 13.2 innings.

Then, on June 1, Romano was placed on the 15-day IL with the same issue he dealt with in March. The right-hander received an anti-inflammatory injection in his elbow and while he has made progress of late — he threw on flat ground Friday at a distance of 90 feet with “pretty good intensity” — he still remains weeks away from a return.

To his credit, Romano's demeanour hasn't changed, though, according to manager John Schneider.

The trick he's using is working.

"He's been the same," Schneider says. "I think it's like when he comes out of the bullpen in the ninth inning, whether he's got his A stuff or not, he's the same.

"He's frustrated he's not helping us," the manager added. "When you're a closer, you're like a quarterback, right? You got to have a short memory. So, he's dealing with this right now as he would if he blows a save. He's been pretty steady."

Particularly frustrating for the right-hander is that his recurring elbow issue has come on the heels of what he felt was a strong off-season. Romano was on top of his training routine and throwing program and arrived in spring training feeling like he had put himself in a strong position to succeed in 2024.

"It's just been a frustrating go of it but honestly, we're in this spot, just make the best of it," says the Markham, Ont., native.

To help deal with the day-to-day grind of rehab work, Romano has begun to meditate and is reading more frequently. Those methods, in turn, have strengthened his "mental toughness," he says.

"I just have a good understanding of myself now," says Romano. "As good as one can. So, I've been relying on that. But still, at the end of the day, when you're not doing what you love to do and trained to do, it's going to be frustrating."

Romano doesn't have to look far to see another Blue Jays hurler who's dealing with similar frustration, if not more. Right-hander Alek Manoah's elbow injury will require season-ending surgery, but even so, the starter has elected to remain with the team and has been a beacon of positivity to teammates.

That's something the two pitchers have chatted about and Romano notes Manoah's situation has offered him a healthy dose of perspective.

"He's like a role model for me because he's coming in and he's super positive," says Romano. "It would have been easy to be negative about it, but he's super positive, and you [would think] nothing's going on with him if you didn't read the reports. That's because he's coming in as the same guy — good teammate, spirits high, always cheering in the dugout.

"That's just kind of how I'm trying to be, too."