TORONTO – A scary moment gave way to relief for the Blue Jays early Saturday afternoon.
A 100 m.p.h. line drive off the bat of Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco hit Kevin Gausman near his right ankle, chasing the right-hander from the game after just two innings. But X-rays came back negative on Gausman, who was diagnosed with a right ankle contusion following testing.
Casey Lawrence replaced Gausman, who left the field under his own power after catcher Gabriel Moreno retrieved the ball and threw it to first base for the out. Earlier in the day, Lawrence had been added to the Blue Jays’ roster as the 27th man for Saturday’s double-header against the Rays.
With a 2.86 ERA through 16 starts, Gausman has been pitching at an elite level since signing a five-year, $110 million deal with the Blue Jays last winter.
Beyond the current rotation, Lawrence, Max Castillo and Thomas Hatch represent the next layer of depth for the Blue Jays.
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