ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The first dose of relief for Kevin Gausman came after a brilliant three-plus inning start in Bradenton on Monday followed closely on the encouragement meter by waking up feeling recovered the following morning.
And now the green light is on for the Blue Jays ace to start the season at the back end of the rotation, a proposition that was in definite risk as recently as two weeks previous.
“I knew I was going to feel pretty good after the game,” Gausman said prior to the team’s workout at Tropicana Field on Wednesday afternoon. “I know my body well enough now. It’s been such a good two weeks that I saw it progressing the way it has been and that took the worry away.
“I went to the (team) facility and got some treatment and now I’m just ready for the regular season. It’s a bit of a relief especially since early on we didn’t really know (the severity of his shoulder tightness.)”
Where Gausman slots in remains to be seen with Sunday’s fourth game against the Rays a possibility or the opener of three against the Astros in Houston on Monday.
Gausman threw 51 pitches against the Pirates in his only Grapefruit League start and would bump up to 75-80 for his first regular-season action. That means he’s likely two starts away from a full workload, which has essentially turned what could have been a huge setback into a minor one.
“Happy with the way it’s gone for sure,” manager John Schneider said on Wednesday. “The last couple of weeks knowing that there was nothing really wrong, that whole time was comforting seeing him progress.
“The last 10 days have been really good, but we held our breath for a while.”
Following Jose Berrios’ opening-day assignment, veteran Chris Bassitt is slated to start on Friday followed by Yusei Kikuchi for the third game of the series.
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Schneider confirmed what was expected: That closer Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) will begin the season on the injured list. That pair is likely to be joined by Alek Manoah, who threw two innings in a simulated game on Tuesday up in Dunedin.
With two late-inning arms not available, Schneider will have to test the depth of his bullpen, suggesting that Yimi Garcia and Chad Green are two logical arms to get the call to close things up.
“The guys we’re used to having back there aren’t there to start, but it’s an opportunity for other guys to really step up,” Schneider said. “There’s going to be opportunities for guys who may not have been in those positions.”
AROUND THE BASES
The Jays essentially finalized their opening-day roster on Wednesday by adding relievers Nate Pearson and Wes Parsons and designating Zach Pop and Yariel Rodriguez to Buffalo … Your latest Joey Votto update: “He’s days away from baseball activities,” GM Ross Atkins said, adding that the former Reds star is still feeling tightness in his ankle … Atkins on his expectations for his team this season: “To compete and ultimately contend for a World Series.”