What Dylan Cease Injury Means for Blue Jays Rotation
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease left the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 24 with what the team is describing as "mild left hamstring discomfort."
He is now set to get an MRI, and the team will have to figure out what's next for him, depending on the results of the MRI. According to Cease himself, he is hoping to make his next start, but that remains to be seen, per MLB's Keegan Matheson.
After signing a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays during the offseason, Cease has been one of the top starters in the American League. Entering Sunday's game against the Pirates, Cease was leading the league with 84 strikeouts in 57.1 IP. By the betting odds, he is one of the top favorites to capture the AL Cy Young Award this season.
Unfortunately for Cease, he left Sunday's start against Pittsburgh after just 4.2 IP and 76 pitches thrown due to his injury. The Blue Jays lost the game 4-1, but a much bigger loss would be if they lose Cease for any period of time, not to mention first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who also left the game with a right elbow contusion after getting hit by a pitch. Fortunately for the team, X-rays were negative on Guerrero, so he should be OK.
Cease's injury, however, is very concerning, at least until the results of his MRI come back. Until that happens, Blue Jays fans everywhere are holding their breath because he is one of the team's best pitchers, and someone they need if they want to make another World Series run.
Dylan Cease is One of MLB's Most Durable Starters
One of the reasons why the Blue Jays handed Cease the biggest pitching contract in franchise history is his durability, as Cease is known for never missing a start.
Over the past five years, Cease has started at least 32 games per season. In this day and age of load management, the fact that he has maintained his health and started so many games is incredible. His durability is why the Blue Jays made him their priority in the offseason and handed him a bag in free agency. He deserved the money he got, and so far this season, he has been worth every penny for the team as he's led the AL in strikeouts.
Cease has struck out over 200 batters the last five years in a row, and he's on pace to do so again this year, barring the extent of his left hamstring injury. The team is praying that it's nothing serious and that he can make his next start as planned. But they have to brace for potentially bad news, which could cause a ripple effect in the team's pitching rotation.
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Blue Jays Rotation With and Without Dylan Cease
Cease, along with ace Kevin Gausman, are the top two pitchers in the Blue Jays' pitching rotation. Right behind them is rookie Trey Yesavage, who, since returning from his own injury, has picked up right where he left off after a strong performance in last year's postseason. Those three are locked into the team's rotation as long as they are healthy.
After those three is Patrick Corbin, who was signed off the street early in the season due to injuries to other pitchers on the Blue Jays' roster, but who has proven worthy of a roster spot with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts. Corbin has been a major surprise for the Jays, who could never have expected this type of performance from him after giving him just $1 million in prorated salary. But Corbin has been great and has earned his spot on the roster.
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Then, the Blue Jays have several injured pitchers who could play roles on the team. Veteran Max Scherzer started the season on the 26-man roster after signing late in Spring Training, but he performed poorly to start the year and is currently on the IL with forearm tendinitis. At age 41, the team cannot count on him as part of its rotation going forward.
Shane Bieber is another injured pitcher after exhibiting elbow discomfort during Spring Training. He has been getting ready to make his comeback to the team and is set to begin a rehab assignment in the minor leagues, with a potential return to the Jays in June, should all go well. If he's healthy, Bieber will surely be part of the Blue Jays' rotation.
Two pitchers who are no longer in the team's plans this year are Cody Ponce, who tore his ACL during his first start of the year, and Jose Berrios, who recently underwent Tommy John Surgery. He'll be out for the next 18 months. Bowden Francis is also out with TJS.
If Cease is forced to miss any period of time, the Blue Jays may try Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles in the team's rotation. Miles has been terrific for the Blue Jays this year, operating in a fireman role out of the bullpen, but he could be put into the rotation to take Cease's starts if the team needs him to do so. A trade or free-agent signing can also not be ruled out, though the team is really testing its Triple-A pitching depth at the moment.
For the Blue Jays, they are hoping that Cease will be okay and not miss any time with his injury. But they need to start thinking about what the rotation could look like without him, just in case, as a Jays' rotation without Cease in it doesn't pose as much fear in opponents as one with him in it.
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 2:31 PM.