The right-hander left Sunday's game with left hamstring discomfort, but hopes to make his next start.
In the latest blows to an already-depleted Toronto Blue Jays roster, the Jays saw both Dylan Cease and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leave Sunday's loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates with injury.
Cease left with mild left hamstring discomfort while Guerrero left after being hit on the right arm by a pitch. The updates on both players appear solid, with Guerrero avoiding a fracture and initial information on Cease being positive too.
Cease will go for an MRI but says he hopes to make his next start. We'll have additional information on that when it becomes available.
While Cease's health looks good in the long term, there is still a short-term situation the Blue Jays have to deal with. If he can't start, what are the options for Toronto?
The injured list
Nobody would want to see this, but there's a chance that the roster juggling might just be too much. If it is, Cease could head to the IL, which would give him an opportunity to fully rest up for two weeks while giving someone else the chance to get called up. There aren't many options in terms of players in the minor leagues that are also on the 40-man roster, so perhaps there could be additional roster juggling to help get someone unexpected up to make the start.
Cease has made more than 30 starts in each of the last five years, and going on the IL could jeopardize that.
Adam Macko, LHP
Assuming the Jays don't need to put Cease on the injured list and need to draw from the current 26-man roster, Macko seems like a logical choice. He started 14 games last season at Triple-A Buffalo, but he hasn't started any games this season in the majors or minors. There's a chance he could give John Schneider a handful of innings as an opener to a full bullpen game.
Yariel Rodriguez, RHP
The 29-year-old Rodriguez was a starter for Toronto in 2024, making 21 starts and going 1-8 overall. He hasn't started since 2024, so similar to Macko, he'd be good for a few innings at best.
Mason Fluharty, RHP
The lefty has already opened two games this season for Schneider. He doesn't offer the length that Macko does, but if you have to piece the game together, he's certainly aware of what it takes to start.
The Blue Jays are back in action on Monday night against the Miami Marlins at Rogers Centre. First pitch is 7:07 p.m. ET.
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