ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Mark Buehrle will start the Toronto Blue Jays’ regular-season finale Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays provided he’s recovered enough from his outing Friday to take the mound again.
The 36-year-old left-hander is two innings short of reaching at least 200 for a 15th straight season, joining Cy Young, Warren Spahn, Don Sutton and Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.
With the Blue Jays without a starter Sunday after Marcus Stroman was pushed off turn because of Tuesday’s postponement in Baltimore, the set-up is perfect for Buehrle, provided he feels good enough.
“If he’s good, he’ll start it,” manager John Gibbons said after Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, adding that Drew Hutchison gets the ball if Buehrle can’t go.
Buehrle, who’s been fighting through shoulder issues for the past month or so, threw 6.2 innings in an 8-4 win Friday, pointing to his family in the stands on his way off the mound. He’s not expected to be on the Blue Jays’ post-season roster, is a free agent at season’s end, with retirement a possibility.
“I’ll go home and think about it, and if it is my last start here, then that’s something I’ll be sentimental about on my couch in the off-season,” Buehrle said of his possible retirement last weekend in Toronto. “Right now I don’t look at that stuff.”
Marco Estrada is among the teammates rooting for Buehrle to start Sunday.
“For someone to throw 200 innings every single year you’ve played in, that’s unreal,” said Estrada. “I don’t know how many guys have done that, but it can’t be many. I hope he’s up for it, I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but it would be nice to see for sure.”
