Gausman Draws Crowd in Blue Jays Intrasqaud Start

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The metal bleacher seating was full as dozens crowded around Field 1 at the Blue Jays player development complex.

Top prospects, coaches, executives, and big leaguers all gathered behind the backstop, surrounding the field to watch Toronto's Kevin Gausman work an intrasquad scrimmage. In his third outing of the spring, Gausman pitched 3.2 innings against a mix of non-roster invitees and minor leaguers. He allowed two earned runs and struck out four.

"Not as sharp as I've been," Gausman said after the outing. "I was a little quick to the plate, couldn't throw my fastball up."

With young prospect pitchers Trent Palmer and Irv Carter watching from the stands, Gausman buried a sixth-pitch splitter to Greg Bird in the first inning, earning his first strikeout of the afternoon. Getting up to 55 pitches in the outing, Gausman worked mainly on his usual fastball/splitter combo, but also mixed in the slider at times, a pitch the righty says he has a good feel for at the moment.

"It's a big pitch for me," Gausman said. "Not a high percentage pitch, but when I do throw it needs to be good."

Facing Bird, Gausman's old high school teammate, again in the third frame, the veteran pitcher delivered a sharp slider back into the zone, catching the lefty hitter looking for another K.

One of two hard-hit balls of the afternoon came after Gausman fell behind 2-0 to 2018 draft pick Addison Barger. Gausman went after the prospect with a high fastball to earn a strike but Barger, who posted a .803 OPS across two minor league levels in 2021, clipped the pitch. The hit, which landed over the wall in right, was the only extra-base hit Gausman allowed on Friday.

After finishing three innings with around 45 pitches of work, Gausman and catcher Reese McGuire met halfway back to the Toronto dugout with a fist bump. The pair returned for two more outs in the fourth inning, working up to Gausman's goal pitch count, before retiring for the afternoon.

Gausman had planned to make his spring training debut against the Braves on Thursday, but the game was rained out. With Hyun Jin Ryu making his first camp start at TD Ballpark against the Tigers on Friday, Gausman instead got work in at the complex. With two weeks until 2022 Opening Day, Gausman should have two spring training starts to prepare for his first regular season start as a Blue Jay.

"It's just about getting ready for the season," Gausman said.

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