Cease, Guerrero Jr. both exit Sunday’s series finale against Pirates

The hits keep coming for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dylan Cease and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both exited Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth inning with injuries.

The Blue Jays announced Cease left due to mild left hamstring discomfort while Guerrero Jr. departed with a right elbow contusion. X-rays came back negative for a fracture.

Cease, 30, left in the top half of the inning after appearing to deal with discomfort in his lower half following a pitch to Pirates leadoff man Spencer Horwitz.

The hard-throwing righty was met on the mound by catcher Brandon Valenzuela after the pitch, before John Schneider and head athletic trainer Jose Ministral jogged onto the field to examine their starter.

Cease could be seen stretching out his legs after throwing a pair of warm-up pitches, but would give the all-clear to his manager shortly after. He would get Horwitz to pop up to the infield, but would exit just two pitches later to end his day, giving way to Mason Fluharty in a 2-1 ballgame.

Cease’s final line comes in at two earned runs on four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts across 4.2 innings pitched. He threw 49 of his 76 pitches for strikes.

Through 10 starts this year, Cease carries a record of 3-2 with a 2.98 earned-run average and 1.22 WHIP while recording 84 strikeouts, the best mark in the American League.

Guerrero would exit in the bottom half of the inning after taking a 92 mph sinker from Pirates starter Mitch Keller off of his right elbow.

The 2025 ALCS MVP was visibly frustrated following the hit by pitch, and would immediately turn back towards the dugout to take himself out of the game.

Lenyn Sosa would come on as a pinch runner in his place.

Guerrero is slashing .287/.377/.372 with three home runs and 22 runs batted in across 52 games played this season.