Kevin Gausman is navigating through what might be his toughest stretch since donning a Toronto Blue Jays uniform. Thursday night wasn't kind to him, as he surrendered six earned runs in a narrow 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers.
This came on the back of a short outing against the Chicago Cubs, where he lasted just two innings. It's been a rough June for Gausman, with four or more earned runs allowed in all but one of his five starts this month.
With the trade deadline on the horizon, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has made it clear that he's in the market for a starting pitcher. Gausman's recent form only amplifies the urgency of that search.
So, what's happening with Gausman right now?
Since signing a five-year, $110 million contract with the Blue Jays before the 2022 season, Gausman has been a model of reliability. His ERA has consistently hovered between 3.35 and 3.83, and he's been a workhorse, making at least 31 starts each season. But this recent rough patch has inflated his ERA to 4.36 over 95 innings pitched in 2026.
The long ball has been Gausman's nemesis this season. He's already given up 14 home runs, a concerning number given that he allowed 21 over a career-high 193 innings last year and just 20 the year before. If the season ended today, his home run rate of 1.3 HR/9 would be his highest since 2019.
A dip in velocity could be playing a role in these struggles. Gausman's fastball is averaging 93.8 mph this season, down from 94.5 mph last year.
His splitter has also lost nearly a full mile per hour. He's not overpowering hitters like he once did, and that could be making all the difference.
This isn't the first time Gausman has experienced fluctuations in velocity during his tenure with the Blue Jays. He's been at his best when consistently hitting 95 mph on the radar gun, so the current dip is concerning.
Fatigue might be the simplest explanation. At 35, Gausman threw an additional 30.2 innings in the playoffs on top of his regular-season workload last year. 2025 was a marathon for him, and the subsequent offseason was the shortest of his career.
But there's a silver lining. Gausman's underlying metrics suggest that better days could be ahead. His expected ERA sits at 3.70, and he's still adept at getting hitters to chase, with his walk rate ranking in the 90th percentile at 5.6%.
Even if this recent slump turns out to be just a blip in an otherwise solid season, the Blue Jays can't ignore the signs. Gausman's velocity drop, coupled with his heavy workload over the past few years, underscores the need for the team to bolster their pitching staff. As the innings pile up, the Blue Jays must ensure they're prepared for the long haul.
In Other News...
Blue Jays May Be Headed For A Trade Fans Dread
With the Blue Jays sitting below .500 and still clinging to a postseason chase, the next few weeks are starting to feel like a crossroads rather than a sprint. Toronto has enough time to turn things around, but not enough to ignore the reality that a disappointing July could change the front offices thinking before the August 3 trade deadline.
If the standings do not improve, the organization may have to decide whether to keep pushing for this season or begin looking ahead to 2027 by dealing players who are getting closer to free agency. That is the kind of pivot fans dread because it usually means sacrificing present hope for future value, and it would signal just how quickly the Blue Jays year can tilt from buyer to seller. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Be Reaching A Breaking Point With Vladimir Guerrero Jr
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.s season has reached an uneasy stretch for a Blue Jays team that still needs his bat to look like the middle-of-the-order force it was supposed to be. Over his last 15 games, he has been stuck at .213, and the broader picture has been just as troubling, with his production sliding hard from the start of the year and the at-bats around him beginning to look heavier with each passing night.
The concern is not only the numbers, either. Guerrero has also drawn scrutiny for grounding into double plays and for not consistently hustling out of the box, the kind of lapses that tend to push a slump from temporary to structural. If this continues, the Blue Jays may have to decide whether a short benching or a move down the lineup is the best way to get him right, even as the organization works around the reality that there are limits to how far it can go in handling the situation. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Rotation Problem Is Starting To Force A Bigger Conversation
The Blue Jays rotation has gone from concern to conversation starter after a rough stretch against the Rangers, where Kevin Gausman, Patrick Corbin and Dylan Cease each had trouble keeping Texas in check. Toronto has been leaning on its starting staff to set the tone, but the group has instead helped fuel a week in which the Blue Jays have allowed 22 earned runs and gone 1-5, a slide that makes every turn through the rotation feel more urgent.
Shane Bieber is back in the mix, which gives Toronto at least one more proven arm to work with, but it has not been enough to quiet the bigger questions around the staff. General manager Ross Atkins has already pointed to starting pitching as a possible trade deadline priority, and if the current run of instability continues, the Blue Jays may have no choice but to look outside the organization for help. [Read more 🡒]