Toronto Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez has been limited to just five starts this season due to blister on his middle finger.

Sanchez is currently on the 10-day disabled list for the third time this season as the team works to find a permanent solution for the reoccurring problem.

“It is what it is,” Sanchez said of the injury Tuesday, per the Toronto Star. “It’s been something that’s bothered me, and if it’s going to take 30 days to give me the answer for the rest of my career then so be it. I understand that our team’s kind of struggling, and I want to be out there just as much as everybody else wants me out there.

“I’ve got to make sure that I’m healthy and I don’t do something out there that will cause further injury. There’s been issues with this where sometimes that’s happened. I think everybody’s on board. It’s just making sure (the finger) is under control and there’s nothing else that’s going to come with this. It is what it is, but I have to make sure that it’s healthy before I get back out there.”

Sanchez posted an American League-best 3.00 ERA last season while going 15-2 in 30 starts. He owns a 3.33 ERA this season with an 0-1 record through just 24 1/3 innings. 

The 24-year-old said the key to his recovery will be exercising patience and not rushing back to the mound.

“I went out there, I pitched, I tried to test it,” Sanchez said. “I thought it was one of those things where you have to build a callous around that, to kind of make it strong because the pressure wasn’t used to that area.

“I did it for two starts, and we’ve obviously seen that it wasn’t getting any better. Now it’s just at the point where we have to make sure this thing is at 100 per cent. I can’t keep making two starts and then going back down and making two starts and going back down. So, hopefully the plan is to knock this thing dead and it’s not be an issue time after time.”

As for a timeline, Sanchez didn't sound like he expects his next start to come any time soon.

“The only thing that’s going to help it heal is not doing anything, not playing catch, not doing anything,” Sanchez said. “It kind of sucks not being able to play catch. But when I play catch, it’s the last thing that hits my fingers. So every single time I’m throwing the ball it’s getting hurt and hurt, and every time something happens I quit throwing.

“It’s frustrating. It’s one of those things. We had the surgery, didn’t realize it’s one of those things that’s going to come. After the (horizontal) split came, so did the bubble underneath. It’s just one of those things that one after another kind of just piled up. Just deal with it and move on. There’s nothing really that you can do. You just have to handle what comes at us.”

The Blue Jays have already seen nine pitchers start this season after seeing only seven different starters in all of 2016. The team's official roster currently only lists four starters; Marco Estrada, Marcus Stroman, Joe Biagini - who was converted from a relief pitcher this season - and Mike Bolsinger. In addition to Sanchez, starters J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano are also on the 10-day disabled list.

Stroman is scheduled to start Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.