Toronto Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman Scratched From Start With Left Side Discomfort

An MRI showed no concerns, but the All-Star and likely Cy Young contender will miss his scheduled appearance against the Diamondbacks regardless.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday due to left side discomfort, the club has announced.

Veteran righty Chris Bassitt – who was supposed to start Tuesday against the San Diego Padres – will take the mound in Gausman's place.

Gausman underwent an MRI in relation to his injury, but the team said it did not show any concerns. Gausman has been labeled as day-to-day, and it is unknown when he will rejoin the rotation.

Prior to this hiccup, Gausman was tied for the most starts in the league with 19. After posting a 7-5 record, 3.03 ERA, 1.133 WHIP and an AL-best 153 strikeouts in the first half of the 2023 season, Gausman earned a spot at the recent All-Star Game in Seattle.

Gausman was also an All-Star with the San Francisco Giants in 2021, going 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.042 WHIP and 227 strikeouts. That season, he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting and 21st in NL MVP voting.

The following winter, Gausman signed a five-year, $110 million contract with Toronto. Gausman went 12-10 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.237 WHIP and 205 strikeouts in 2022, all while leading the AL with a 2.38 FIP and 7.32 strikeouts per walk.

Gausman finished ninth in AL Cy Young voting last fall, and he currently boasts the second-best odds to take home the award in 2023, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

The last time Gausman took the mound was July 8 against the Detroit Tigers, when he went 6.0 innings deep with seven strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. Gausman did not pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

With Gausman unavailable Saturday, the Blue Jays will turn to Bassitt, who has also made 19 starts so far in 2023. The 34-year-old had an ERA under 3.85 in five consecutive seasons heading into this year, but he is sitting at 4.19 entering the second half of his first campaign in Toronto.

The Blue Jays and Diamondbacks are scheduled to start their Saturday showdown at 3:07 p.m. ET. Toronto took game one Friday night, meaning they can clinch a series win with a victory Saturday.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.