Former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman was forced out of his start Tuesday night for the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning because of a left hand cramp.
Gausman appeared to be in discomfort and flexed his hand several times during a mound meeting with manager Craig Counsell, catcher Miguel Amaya and a Cubs trainer. He walked off the mound shortly after and described the injury to reporters following the game.
“I’ve had it happen but usually it’s when I’m kind of over 100 pitches. So that’s when I kind of run into it. Never had it happen that early in an outing. You know, so that’s why it’s kind of frustrating,” Gausman told reporters after Tuesday’s game.
Gausman went 4.1 innings and threw 86 pitches. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts in the outing. The Cubs eventually won the game 4-3.
It was Gausman’s third start for the Cubs since coming over in a deal with the Blue Jays just prior to the deadline. He was lights out in his first outing against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 7 but struggled the week after against the Washington Nationals before Tuesday’s truncated outing.
His ERA with the Cubs sits at 6.19 after posting a 4.38 mark with the Jays prior to the deal.
Toronto received outfielder Brett Bateman and infield prospect Ty Southisene in exchange for Gausman, who is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season.
He spent the previous four and a half seasons with Toronto after signing there as a free agent prior to the 2022 season.
