The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has been defined by the team's injury woes. It has been setback after setback for manager John Schneider's squad, as he has tried to piece together a starting lineup and rotation without some very key pieces all year.
Stars like Alejandro Kirk (thumb), Addison Barger (elbow), Max Scherzer (forearm/ankle) and Dylan Cease (hamstring) have all seen stints on the injured list through the first two months of the season.
Cease was the latest of these big-time players to go on the shelf, as the right-hander left his last outing on May 24 in the fifth inning due to a left hamstring strain and was placed on the 15-day IL the next day.
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This was not seen as a severe injury for Cease, as he was back on the mound throwing a bullpen on Saturday. He has been steadily progressing back to game-ready form, as Sportsnet reporter Arden Zwelling provided a positive update on his health on Tuesday.
"Dylan Cease (hamstring) threw a bullpen on Tuesday in Atlanta," Zwelling said. "He also worked on some change of direction running drills. If all goes well, he’ll throw a rehab outing with triple-A Buffalo on Thursday; that may be all he needs prior to being activated."
This is great news for Blue Jays fans, as Cease was arguably the best pitcher on Toronto's staff before going on the injured list.
In 11 starts, the 30-year-old has a 3-3 record, pitching to a 3.05 ERA with an American League-leading 92 strikeouts to go along with 26 walks in 62 innings.
If Cease is able to miss only two starts during his stint on the IL, Schneider and the rest of the Blue Jays would surely be happy.
