Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman Sends Message After Career Milestone

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Hudson | Last updated May 12, 2026 2:27 PM ET

Despite a slow start to the season, the Toronto Blue Jays have found consistency in veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman. Toronto, which entered the year with high expectations, has struggled to a record below .500 while dealing with injuries to key contributors, including José Berríos, Anthony Santander, and Alejandro Kirk.

Through it all, Gausman has remained a steady presence atop the rotation. The 35-year-old has posted a 3.86 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP, recording 48 strikeouts over 51 1/3 innings across nine starts.

His reliability has been a bright spot for a team searching for momentum early in the season.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) against the Tampa Bay Rays.© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There is still time for the Toronto Blue Jays to turn their season around, despite an 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night. While the result was disappointing, Gausman delivered a milestone moment.

The veteran right-hander recorded his 2,000th career strikeout in the fourth inning, fanning catcher Hunter Feduccia to become the sixth active pitcher to reach the mark.

According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Gausman reflected on the achievement with humility. “My career has been ups and downs and very different, not all sunshine, rainbows,” he said. “So I take those things very seriously. Yeah, I’m honored by it, for sure.”

Gausman acknowledged the challenges he has faced, emphasizing how much the milestone means to him.

Kevin Gausman, on reaching 2000 strikeouts and the crowd’s ovation:

“My career has been ups and downs and very different, not all sunshine rainbows. So, I take those things very seriously. Yeah, I'm honored by it, for sure.”#BlueJays
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) May 12, 2026

Gausman is in his fifth season with the Blue Jays after being selected fourth overall in the 2012 MLB Draft. The veteran right-hander is in the final year of his five-year, $110 million contract with Toronto, raising questions about his future with the organization.

With free agency approaching, it remains to be seen whether both sides can agree on a new deal to continue their partnership beyond this season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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