Dylan Cease is set to sit out his upcoming start, impacting the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching rotation.
Toronto’s star pitcher will be sidelined for his scheduled Wednesday game against the Baltimore Orioles due to shoulder fatigue, revealed manager John Schneider during a press briefing on Sunday.
Following an MRI in Toronto on Saturday, the team is now awaiting the results to determine the next course of action for Cease. Despite this setback, there is a possibility that Cease might return to pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the season’s final series.
Struggling through September, the AL Cy Young contender has faced issues with control and a significant drop in velocity. In his recent outing on Friday, Cease lasted a mere 2.2 innings, giving up three hits, four runs (one earned), and six walks, while managing to strike out three batters.
Notably, his fastball speed has reduced to an average of 93.6 m.p.h., down by 3.2 m.p.h. from his season norm of 96.8.
Despite the recent challenges, Cease maintains an impressive 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and leads the AL with 239 strikeouts over 29 starts.
The absence of Cease deals a significant blow to the Blue Jays’ pitching lineup, already weakened by injuries, as they vie for the final AL wild-card spot. With Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage sidelined, Toronto has been relying on a limited rotation.
Fortunately, Yesavage is anticipated to return to start in the upcoming game against the Orioles on Monday.
In the quest to secure a victory in the series finale against the Texas Rangers on Sunday at 2:35 p.m. ET (broadcasted on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+), the Blue Jays aim to narrow the 3.0-game gap between them and the Chicago White Sox for the final wild card position.
