GAUSMAN STARTING TO RETURN TO FORM
Monday's pre-season outing will determine if pitcher is ready for a regular workload
What do two simulated innings, 36 pitches and a max fastball velocity of 97 miles per hour in an outing on the backfields of the Toronto Blue Jays player development complex get an American League Cy Young finalist?
If you are veteran Kevin Gausman, for now it's a potentially welcome big toss in the right direction.
Gausman, who got arguably his most important work in thus far, will proceed to the next step — his first Grapefruit League action early next week.
If all goes well over the weekend, the veteran right-hander will look to elevate that pitch count over three innings on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton.
That “debut” will come in the Jays' final pre-season game and just three sleeps before the season begins with a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays down the road in St. Petersburg. Given the injury carnage around baseball this spring, better late than never, right?
Gausman's spring plans have been altered by shoulder fatigue, a painful nuisance that didn't allow him to bounce back from work with the normal verve he has shown throughout his career. Rather than pushing the ace of their staff, Gausman pulled back with the hope any missed time would be a minimum.
As a result of the setback, Jose Berrios was named the starter for Thursday's season opener and the best case for Gausman, it would appear, would be to get a start at some point during the 10-game season-opening road trip.
Of course, It's also possible he'll miss a start or two, with the result of Monday's outing being critical to determining the shape of those plans.
The good news after the simulated game in which Gausman faced seven hitters, he threw 28 of those pitches for strikes and struck out two batters. He reported that he felt sound physically afterward — and that there was no more soreness — which suggests he's ready to resume a normal workload.
For now, there's plenty for manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker to address in the coming days. With Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi all in solid form, at least the top three slots are accounted for.
It was never going to be this way for Gausman, of course. Based on last season, the opening-day assignment now ceded to Berrios would surely have been his. But a measured start to his spring was stunted and here we are a week before the season and he's finally ready to roll.
Meanwhile, part of the solution may have been unfolding some 100 kilometres south of here in North Port where Bowden Francis on Wednesday faced a strong lineup from general manager Alex Anthopoulos's National League East favourite Atlanta Braves.
Once it became apparent Alek Manoah was out of the mix to start the season because of shoulder soreness of his own, the 27-year-old Francis has emerged as the favourite to seize temporary hold of the fifth spot in the rotation.
Francis has impressed during his Grapefruit League assignments with his pitch mix and his competitive mindset, qualities that will serve him well as he looks to cement a spot on the staff and be a short-term saviour.
He certainly appeared to enhance that perception on Wednesday, pitching 41/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out three. It had to feel like a welcome development for a
Jays pitching staff that if not wounded, has been wobbling somewhat.
The ailments to starters Gausman and Manoah and more recently reliever Jordan Romano have certainly added some further angst to an already stout early season challenge.
It's the go figure side of what the Jays are facing this season as they look to rebound from an 89-win campaign that had all involved wanting more. The prime thrust of camp has been to get offensive improvement to complement the elite hurlers on the roster.
Of course, for that grand plan to succeed, that requires the pitching staff to return to the terrific form of 2023 and remain healthy in the process. That was always a big ask, even with the top-notch Jays training staff.
At least the Jays setbacks — thus far, anyway — seem more temperate than the damage other teams have suffered. And Gausman may not be out of the woods yet, but an encouraging, pain-free session was a much needed exhale and stride in the right direction.