The Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching staff is starting to get into dire need of receiving length from their starters. That help will come with Dylan Cease’s return. Cease made his first, and potentially only, rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday night as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list back on May 25. The 29-year-old started against the Worcester Red Sox and turned in a pitching line of 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K during the Bisons’ 5-1 loss. Cease was able to get his pitch count up to 75 pitches (50 strikes) and topped out at 98.9 MPH.
After working a clean first inning, Cease was tagged for three runs in the second inning, with most of the damage coming off the bat of Tsung-Che Cheng. With the Woo-Sox already up 1-0 and a runner on first base, Cheng jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Cease and drove it 426 feet to center field for a two-run shot, good for his fifth homer of the season.
Braiden Ward opened the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run of his own, hitting a 2-1 slider to right field for his second home run this season. Former Blue Jay Vinny Capra followed with a single, and was eventually brought around to score on an Allan Castro single.
Cease returned for the fourth, and needed 18 pitches to finish off his final frame of the night. The right-hander got both Matt Lloyd and Cheng on flyouts before issuing a two-out walk to third baseman Max Ferguson. Cease settled down and struck out Ward to end his evening, capping what is likely his only rehab outing.
The Blue Jays are in desperate need of Cease’s return. Signed to a seven-year, $210 million contract on December 2 – the largest free agent contract in franchise history – Cease has been everything they hoped for when they inked him. Through 11 starts this season, Cease is 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 62 innings pitched. At the time of his injury, Cease was leading MLB with 92 strikeouts, and still sits with the fourth most in the league. If Cease were to return after only one rehab outing, he would likely slot in on Tuesday, June 9. That’s the day he’s eligible to come off the injured list, and they’ll square off with the Philadelphia Phillies.
