The Toronto Blue Jays look likely to be without ace pitcher Kevin Gausman at the beginning of the year as he continues to work back from spring shoulder discomfort.
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.
"We just want him to be good, and if that means 30 starts as opposed to 32, we’ll be pretty happy with that.” #BlueJays
It certainly seems most important for Toronto to get Gausman healthy, as he is one of the top pitchers in the American League. If they want to improve on last year's third-place finish in the American League East, they need a healthy Gausman.
It's unknown at this point who would make the Opening Day start in Gausman's absence, but Jose Berrios or Chris Bassitt would seem to be logical choices. His absence at the beginning of the year likely further opens the door for Bowden Francis to crack the rotation at the outset of the season.
The 33-year-old Gausman went 12-9 last year with a 3.16 ERA. He also made the All-Star team for the second time in his career.
Lifetime, Gausman is 88-91 with a 3.84 ERA. He's pitched 11 years with the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds. He'll pair with Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and an unknown fifth starter in the rotation.
Toronto's home opener is Monday, April 8, so perhaps Gausman will be ready to go by then.
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