Blue Jays Receive Encouraging News About Dylan Cease's Injury

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) gets congratulated after the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Blue Jays Receive Encouraging News About Dylan Cease's Injury

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Maanav Gupta | Last updated Sep 22, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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Injuries have started to take a toll on the Toronto Blue Jays lately. While it seemed like there was still hope for Toronto to make the postseason a couple of weeks ago, that has ultimately not turned out to be the case.

The struggles have been real, and the injuries have not made it easier. Outfielder Brett Bateman suffered a hip injury on Monday night, while first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has dealt with back tightness. Not to mention starter Trey Yesavage, who just returned from knee surgery after six weeks.

Ace Dylan Cease had been holding down the rotation recently, but even he hasn't been immune to the injury bug that has hurt the Blue Jays this season. Cease has been a lifeline to Toronto's pitching staff, but had been dealing with shoulder fatigue over the past few weeks, according to manager John Schneider.

Cease struggled mightily against the Texas Rangers on Friday, going just 2.2 innings and walking six, while giving up four runs (one earned). He went back to Toronto for an MRI and was scratched from his next start on Wednesday.

It was revealed on Monday that the MRI only showed inflammation in the right shoulder and no structural issues. Cease will not need surgery for anything more serious.

More on Cease's Injury Situation

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 30-year-old explained the news himself and the fact that he's just been diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. This isn't an issue that is expected to go into 2027 and affect his availability for next season.

It's still unlikely that Cease ends up pitching again this season with less than a week left, although that's still being determined. Given the Jays are basically out of postseason contention, there's really no need to push him.

The shoulder issue is what caused Cease's pitch velocity to go down.

“The velocity being down has been a little bit concerning,” Cease said, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "But at the same time, I’m getting outs. It wasn’t anything that was too scary because nothing about it feels like I’ve got something that needs surgery."

After his incredible complete game at the Boston Red Sox on July 25, where he threw 120 pitches, Cease didn't look as strong, even though he still ended up throwing six quality starts from that time until now.

“It’s definitely a bit heavy and achy, just not normal,” Cease said. "The last couple of starts, the velo keeps going down and down. Especially that last one, I almost felt like I was hurting the team."

It's clear that the issue caught him to him, but the fact that he pitched through it at a high level for some time shows the quality of Cease.

He has posted a 2.40 ERA in 29 starts, which is the second-lowest mark in the American League. Cease has a career-high 239 strikeouts in 169 innings pitched, with an 11-6 record.

This article first appeared on Toronto Blue Jays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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