Dylan Cease has been one of the most durable pitchers in the big leagues, making 185 starts since 2020 and ranking sixth with 1004 1/3 innings pitched since then. However, the injury bug that has been floating in the Blue Jays clubhouse claimed its next victim.

The right-hander left yesterday’s game against the Pirates with left hamstring discomfort. It appears that it may have been more on the side of caution compared to an immediate injury need, but the club sent him for an MRI, and they will know more once the imaging comes back.

The good news is that a lengthy IL stint may be off the table, given the current comments from manager John Schneider, but there is a possibility that he misses a start or two to get back to full health for the long haul of the season. This could involve an IL stint, which would allow the Jays to bring up an arm to replace him in the rotation for 1-2 outings, or the Jays could peacemeal another bullpen game when it’s his turn in the rotation if they think only one start is going to be missed.

Considering the Jays are already relying on Spencer Miles and a couple of arms in the fifth spot, that’s less ideal, and if recent history is any indicator, the club will prioritize his long-term health and put him on the IL so he’s back to 100% (similar to George Springer and his toe). The Jays are also in one of their longest stretches of consecutive games this season, making the injury timing even worse.

Assuming Cease is going to miss a start or two, how do the Blue Jays fill in the short-term rotation gap?

This makes the most sense for the Blue Jays, especially if the outcome for Cease is positive.

The Jays have a plethora of options down in Buffalo they can lean on – Josh Fleming, Chad Dallas, Grant Rogers, CJ Van Eyk, and Austin Voth – and each comes with their own pros and cons. What they all have in common is that each player would need a 40-man roster spot, something the Jays can manage at this point in the season. Toronto has one roster spot to play with if they so choose, but Jose Berrios can also be added to the 60-day IL to create some space if the Jays value having that one open 40-man spot to tinker with. Berrios will be out for the year, so that’s a guaranteed roster spot to play with.

This option seems the most likely for the Jays versus relying on the bullpen to cover the gap, especially with Miles already essentially starting games. Adam Macko could be stretched out if the Jays need, but he hasn’t been a starter this season and has found a solid niche being the short-term inning guy out of the relief corps early in his career. Yariel Rodriguez is in the same boat.

The scenario in front of the Jays would have been perfect for Lazaro Estrada, who can start games and has a spot on the 40-man roster, although the right-hander is on the IL and not a current option for the club. Jake Bloss, Max Scherzer, and Shane Bieber aren’t ready to go just yet, either.

This is where the pivot should be, but to make it work, the Jays will likely need Cease’s roster spot, and he’ll have to land on the IL. Otherwise, someone from the bullpen has to go, which is a riskier move because of that dependence on the group every fifth game and with the Jays only having one off day over the next two weeks barring the rain’s blessing them in either Atlanta or Baltimore.

All it takes is one or two rough starts from another rotation arm, and the Jays are up the creek. Take the precaution, put him on the IL for 15 days, and give the keys to the rotation to someone in Buffalo for an opportunity to prove they can stick.

Turning the attention to outside the organization, there is always a minor league arm or a recent DFA the club could find to patch things together. The Jays’ front office is no stranger to following the waiver wire, although the results have been incredibly mixed over the years.

Trading or signing a player from outside the organization costs a 40-man roster spot, so either Berrios heads to the 60-day or the Jays work with a full roster. Someone would also need to be dropped from the active roster unless Cease heads to the IL to free that spot up, and the Jays just deal with the fallout down the line.

This option seems less likely, especially if Cease isn’t expected to miss a lot of time with the hamstring ailment. Toronto doesn’t need to bullrush an outside addition if the problem isn’t going to be long-term.

Now, if the MRI comes back and Cease is going to miss more than a handful of starts, then the front office should be exploring their options out there because relying on one of the internal options for an extended period might not be the best play.

Who is that player? Your guess is as good as mine. This is where the Jays’ scouting department gets paid the big bucks to scatter out and sit in the bleachers of random towns across the United States on a cold Tuesday night.

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