Jays' Stroman lands on DL with continued blister issues
Marcus Stroman just can't seem to rid himself of a troublesome blister and has now landed on the disabled list because of it.
After Stroman allowed five earned runs across four innings in a 7-5 rain-shortened loss to the New York Yankees on Friday, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said the right-hander will head to the DL, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.
"His blister flared up on him again," Gibbons said Friday. "It was irritating him and it was affecting him a little bit."
Stroman said he hopes to miss just one start.
"It's been tough. It's something I've been battling. It's pretty deep. It's something I've never voiced how true it was, I've kind of just always gotten through it and battled. That's how I am." Stroman said, according to Sportsnet. "Hopefully just take a start here to let it heal over and get back out there on the mound."
The right-hander has been limited to five innings or less in three of his last four starts. His pitch selection has also changed during those outings, as he has relied more on his sinker and cutter while staying away from his slider, curveball, and changeup.
Pitch Selection vs. Yankees on Aug. 17 (Courtesy of Statcast)
| PITCH | # | % |
|---|---|---|
| Sinker | 32 | 36.4 |
| Cutter | 31 | 35.2 |
| Slider | 19 | 21.6 |
| 4-Seam | 5 | 5.7 |
| Curve | 1 | 1.1 |
This isn't the first time Stroman has succumbed to a blister. He was so frustrated with a blister epidemic that spread throughout the league last season, he suggested it was due to MLB altering the baseballs.
In 18 starts for the Blue Jays this season, Stroman is 4-8 with a 5.27 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 100 2/3 innings.