Dylan Cease could be out until the final series of the regular season against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Toronto Blue Jays playoff fate will likely come down to the final days of the regular season.
The Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers in the final of the three-game series 7-2 on Sunday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and avoided being swept in the process.
The win put Toronto 2.5 games back from the final wild card spot in the American League, tied with the Houston Astros. The Chicago White Sox currently occupy the final wild card spot.
The Blue Jays have six more games to make up the difference and secure a wild card spot. Those six games will be made up of a pair of three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden yards in Baltimore and a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Unfortunately for Toronto, it might be without the ace of its pitching staff for the final six games.
According to a post on "X" from broadcaster Hazel Mae, Cease underwent an MRI on his shoulder Saturday night. He'll meet the team in Baltimore but won't start in his next scheduled outing, which is set to take place Wednesday. Cease said his shoulder felt "fatigued" after his latest start against Texas on Friday.
According to Mae's post, Blue Jays manager John Schneider is not ruling out Cease starting against Cincinnati. Whether or not the 2026 All-Star will be able to make his next start is based on the results of his MRI, and likely the position of the team in the standings.
Cease's MRI came after he posted his shortest outing of the season against the Rangers. He struck out three batters, walked a season-high six hitters and allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits in 2.2 innings pitched. He threw 74 pitches and only 36 of them were strikes. His velocity was down as well.
Cease, who will likely earn votes for the American League Cy Young award, has been the undisputed ace of Toronto's pitching staff in the first of a seven-year, $210 million contract he signed with the team last offseason.
This season, the 30-year-old has posted a 2.40 ERA and has fanned a career-best 239 batters in 169 innings pitched across 29 starts. He's allowed an opposing batting average of just .180, which would be a career-worst mark for batters going against him.
The Blue Jays upcoming series against the Orioles will begin at 6:35 p.m. PT on Monday. Trey Yesavage will start for Toronto and Baltimore's starter is still to-be-determined.
