The Toronto Blue Jays are gearing up for another playoff run in 2024. However, they are dealing with injury trouble with Opening Day right around the corner. Kevin Gausman previously said he expected to be ready for the beginning of the season, which led many fans to suspect he’d start Opening Day. A recent report suggests otherwise, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
“Kevin Gausman will throw one inning of live batting practice today, not two, and build up from there. Making that Opening Day start on March 28 looks unlikely,” Matheson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
It does not appear that Gausman suffered a setback or anything of that nature. Rather, he’s still building up after previously dealing with shoulder fatigue. Gausman never said he was going to start Opening Day, so his beginning of the season claim still may prove to be true. He just might not start game one of the 2024 campaign.
In other news, catcher Danny Jansen reportedly suffered a fractured pisiform bone in his wrist, according to Matheson. Matheson provided an update on Jansen after the injury was announced, and shared a loose timeline via manager John Schneider.
“The #BlueJays expect Jansen to miss ‘a couple of weeks’ and he has a follow-up appointment with a doctor today. Jansen’s history of hand issues continues. Difficult blow for one of the most important hitters in this lineup, but Schneider hopes for a quick return,” Matheson wrote on X.
Blue Jays updates
Neither of these updates are ideal. Fortunately, Kevin Gausman is seemingly alright and just might not start Opening Day. The hope is that he will return shortly after the start of the season.
Jansen’s status is concerning, though. He was once a highly-regarded prospect, but has not appeared in more than 110 games in any of his big league seasons. He is still only 28 years old and could break out at some point, but staying healthy will be important for the Blue Jays catcher.
Overall, Toronto still has a chance to compete in 2024. They will need to perform at a consistent level all season long to make noise in the talented American League East.
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