BALTIMORE – Somewhat fittingly for a team forced to make TBA a regular part of its starting rotation, Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease is finishing a Cy-Young calibre season in limbo after an MRI revealed inflammation but no structural damage to his right shoulder.

The 30-year-old, who’s struck out 239 in 169 innings while carrying a 2.40 ERA over 29 starts, said upon rejoining the team Monday that he and the club “are still drafting a plan” for his next steps, although he hasn’t been ruled out from starting again this year.

For him to pitch this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds, manager John Schneider said, Cease will need to be “feeling better with this time down and feeling like himself, and obviously the game meaning a lot” for the Blue Jays, who are nearing elimination in the wild-card race. If not, the first season of his $210-million, seven-year deal will have ended with a messy outing Friday in Texas where his career-low average fastball velocity of 93.6 m.p.h. was concerning enough for him to be sent out for imaging the day after.

“It’s good news, I'm not having surgery, there's nothing that's going to keep me out next year or anything like that,” said Cease. “It's just some inflammation of various kinds.”

Regardless, the disappointing way his season is ending is yet another blow for a Blue Jays........

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