Kevin Gausman exits Tuesday’s start with trainer

It doesn’t appear that Gausman is in jeopardy of missing his next start against the Diamondbacks on Monday since the issue is on his non-throwing hand. The 35-year-old veteran departed with a trainer after surrendering three runs on seven hits, including a solo homer by Munetaka Murakami, over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five and only issued two walks.

On the plus side for fantasy managers, Gausman struck out seven batters in the ballgame while issuing only one base on balls. He kept the Nationals off the board through the first three frames until Dylan Crews smacked an RBI double in the fourth inning. They then piled on with five more runs in the fifth — including a three-run blast by Abimelec Ortiz. Gausman got 12 swings and misses on 93 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of 30 percent. He’ll look to improve upon his underwhelming 4.53 ERA and 1.27 WHIP when he squares off against the White Sox on Tuesday.

Gausman’s Cubs debut went about as well as one could have hoped. The righty scattered four hits across seven innings of work and needed just 96 pitches to get things done. Two of the four hits Gausman allowed came in the first inning, with one of those coming on an RBI double by Isaac Collins to give the Royals their first run of the night. He would also allow a solo homer to Carter Jensen in the fifth inning, but Gausman held the Royals in check for much of the evening. Gausman has allowed three earned runs over his last 12 2/3 innings of work while striking out eight batters. His next start is scheduled for Thursday on the road against the Nationals.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Holmes will not require any additional minor league rehab starts. The tandem of trade deadline acquisitions will get the ball later this week when the Cubs head to Kansas City for a three-game series that gets underway on Friday.

Gausman departs Toronto with just a couple of months to go on the five-year, $110 million contract he signed as a free agent prior to the 2022 season. He’s posted a 4.38 ERA this season, but his strikeout rate has held steady at 23.5 percent and he has a 3.85 xERA and a 3.95 SIERA. He’s also about as reliable as pitchers come, which is pretty important given the state of the Cubs rotation. Colin Rea could get bumped to the pen to make room for him. The Jays will likely replace him with Jameson Taillon, who they acquired from the Cubs in a separate deal earlier in the day.

Is it too late to fold this into the Jameson Taillon trade? The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon says the Jays will get outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene in return. Gausman was 6-10 with a 4.38 ERA in a down year for the Jays, but he’s durable and could step it up in October, like he did in posting a 2.93 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance during last year’s World Series run. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

A strong trade candidate, Gausman got a big ovation from the Toronto crowd as he walked off the field for what could be his final start for the Jays. But, then, even if he is traded, it’s easy to imagine the Blue Jays looking to bring him back in free agency this winter. The win made Gausman 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA. He’ll likely pitch in Philly on Friday if he stays put.

This makes plenty of sense. The Phillies need another starter for the rotation and potentially another outfield bat as well. The Blue Jays could send any combination of Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, George Springer, and Daulton Varsho. The Phillies may also be interested in Jeff Hoffman for the bullpen. Would the Blue Jays want to take a chance that they can “fix” Andrew Painter? There is still time to go here and nothing imminent, but it seems like a pairing that makes sense.

Gausman struck out six, walked one, and allowed five hits. He kept Toronto in the game, but they were ultimately held to one run and remain the lowest-scoring lineup in MLB. The 35-year-old is sporting his worst ERA since 2019, but it comes with a 66 percent left-on-base rate, which is inside the top five for qualified starters and suggests a bit of bad luck. His next start lines up at home against the Cardinals.

This was a forgettable outing for Gausman, as the Rays executed a death by a thousand paper cuts approach, piling up nine hits against him with only one going for extra bases. He recorded just one strikeout while issuing two walks in his second-shortest outing of the season. The 35-year-old veteran has hit a rough patch, allowing at least four earned runs in four of his last six starts dating back to June 19. He’ll attempt to rebound with a tough road matchup against the sizzling-hot Red Sox on Sunday.