One start is hardly anything to panic about, especially at this point in the season. However, the Toronto Blue Jays may want to keep an eye on Kevin Gausman after his outing on Saturday.
Gausman did not have a terrible outing against the Mariners. Yes, he allowed four runs, all of which came via solo homers, but he allowed just one other hit over his six innings. He did not walk a batter while striking out nine. Considering the talent that Seattle has in the lineup, it was a solid enough performance.
Is something wrong with Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman?
However, there is some reason for concern. As Keegan Matheson from MLB.com pointed out, Gausman’s velocity was down significantly, especially on the pitches he allowed homers on. His fastball velocity had decreased by between three to five MPH compared to his average, while his sinker velocity had also decreased by 3.2 MPH.
It is one start. Gausman has pitched 121.2 innings after his outing on Saturday and has consistently been one of the better pitchers in the majors this season. It is entirely possible that he was just feeling some rust, leading to that decreased velocity and rough outing. Gausman said that he felt as though he had not pitched in a month and was out of his routine due to the All Star Break, causing that diminished velocity; his last game was on July 8. But this is still something that the Blue Jays are going to have to keep an eye on.
In the end, it may be much ado about nothing. Gausman could easily go out and dominate in his next outing, ending any concern that there is something wrong. Nonetheless, the Blue Jays may want to check in on available starting pitchers. You know, just in case.
There is no reason for the Toronto Blue Jays to be worried about Kevin Gausman. At least, there is no reason for concern just yet.
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