DUNEDIN, Fla. — The so-called open spots in the Blue Jays starting rotation appear to be closing just a week into the spring training games.
Righty Shaun Marcum and lefty Ricky Romero have always been 1-2 — or 2-1 — and nothing has changed there.
Over in nearby Clearwater Wednesday morning, in a ‘B’ game against the Phillies, two other sure things as far as the rotation goes were on the hill as righty Brandon Morrow and lefty Marc Rzepczynski looked solid in their second outings of the spring.
The only way these two guys aren’t part of the rotation come opening day is if they get hit by a bus.
So that leaves one spot open and that one will close in a heartbeat if recovering right-hander Dustin McGowan is ready by April 14, the Jays’ ninth game of the season and the first day that manager Cito Gaston will need a fifth starter.
If McGowan isn’t ready, then left-hander Brian Tallet will be No. 5.
That leaves a bunch of potential starters on the outside looking in with their prize reduced to who will be the opening day pitcher for the Las Vegas 51s.
One of them, lefty Brett Cecil, followed Morrow and Rzepczynski against the Phillies and that seemed apropos as Cecil trails them in the race to the rotation.
Cecil put himself behind the proverbial 8-ball even before a pitch was thrown in earnest when he sliced his left thumb while chopping up some chicken.
Wednesday marked his first appearance of the spring and, even though he was back on the mound, he was handicapped by being restricted to throwing fastballs and changeups. He couldn’t throw his curve or slider as that would re-open the slice on his thumb because of his grip on the ball.
Cecil had a rough start as he walked the first batter, gave up a single to the second and the third hit a blast over the tiki bar in left field, a ball hit so hard it may still be rolling.
After that, Cecil settled down, striking out four of the final eight batters he faced.
Back in the Jays clubhouse in Dunedin, Cecil talked like a guy who knows he is battling against the odds.
“Now I’m behind everybody and everybody’s going to have one more outing than I do,” he said. “It’s definitely frustrating when something this small (his thumb) sets you back for so long.”
Although Cecil made 17 starts for the Jays in his rookie season going 7-4 with a 5.30 ERA, he didn’t enter this camp with any kind of a leg up in the competition. And he knew it.
“Not really,” he said of having any kind of advantage. “We had so many young guys come up and we’re all kind of in the same boat right now.”
When it comes down to the short strokes, Cecil believes pitching maturity will be the key.
“I don’t want to necessarily say it’s who pitches better,” he said of the determining factor. “It’s who has a good game plan. And consistency is a big thing for all of us.”
Afterwards, manager Cito Gaston without naming names mused about how they’ve got the rotation more or less figured out.
It’s doubtful that Cecil’s name was on it.
mike.rutsey@sunmedia.ca
