With the Blue Jays’ rotation already missing José Berríos, Shane Bieber, and Max Scherzer, Toronto’s pitching staff is thinner than any team in baseball. And during a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the situation somehow got worse.

The Jays lost both their offensive and pitching cornerstones in one game. First, starter Dylan Cease left in the top of the fifth inning. Then, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch in the bottom half.

“Vladdy immediately pulled himself from the game after getting hit by a pitch. Jays starter Dylan Cease already exited the game with an injury as well,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

Cease started the day with his expected dominance, allowing two ERs, one walk, and eight SOs. However, in the fifth, he was visited by the training staff twice. The Jays’ $210 million arm tried to stay in, threw three more pitches, but ultimately walked off.

The Blue Jays later confirmed left hamstring discomfort. While initial testing reported it as “mild,” the team is awaiting MRI results to determine if he’s fit enough for the next scheduled start on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Dylan Cease has been removed from today’s game with an apparent injury. Just about the last thing the Blue Jays‘ rotation can take right now. Updates to come as they’re shared with us,” MLB insider Keegan Matheson added.

Now, Cease’s injury was not dramatic but shocking; Guerrero’s exit, however, was visually scary.

He was batting in the fifth when the Pittsburgh Pirates were leading 2-1. A 92 mph sinker off Mitch Keller directly hit his body. Guerrero tried to dodge the ball but couldn’t. From the footage, it seemed like a hard hit because the ball hit his unprotected right elbow.

He yelled an expletive and stared at Keller. Guerrero was visibly in pain.

He didn’t wait and walked into the dugout with manager John Schneider and the trainer checking on him. He didn’t even stop for a moment to talk to the staff. Lenyn Sosa replaced him, and Guerrero never returned to the game.

“He usually doesn’t come out of a game. He’s pretty tough. I followed him, and he just said, ‘I can’t feel my hand.’ It was kind of like [hitting] a funny bone, but traveling at 90-plus miles an hour,” Schneider talked of Vladdy.

Losing Cease and Guerrero is terrifying for the Blue Jays because both players rarely get hurt.

Cease has not been on the injured list for a physical issue since his 2019 debut. Guerrero is even more durable – he has never been on the IL in his entire eight-year MLB career.

Guerrero is hitting .287 in 52 games with 3 HRs. While these are surely not typical Guerrero stats, his 22 RBIs and 54 hits are still the second highest in the team. On the other hand, Cease was going strong, currently standing with a 3.05 ERA. He took over the MLB lead in strikeouts before exiting the game.

For now, the availability of both is uncertain, and this adds to the Jays’ already injury-ridden roster.

Sunday’s 4-1 loss drops Toronto to 25-28. They are sinking fast in the AL East, and their playoff hopes are fading.

The Blue Jays might be the worst-hit team in terms of injuries.

Apart from Cease, José Berríos is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Max Scherzer is on the 15-day IL for forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. Shane Bieber is on the 60-day IL recovering from elbow issues and beginning rehab assignments. Effectively, the Jays’ rotation is majorly sidelined after Cease.

The offense looks similar.

Guerrero joined Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Nathan Lukes in the IL. The only silver lining is the exciting trade rumors.

The Blue Jays may be involved in some blockbuster trades

Considering the current scene in the Blue Jays clubhouse, trading new names is the only option left for the front office. And a few blockbuster updates are brewing.

“The Blue Jays should be fine in time, and rivals expect them to be aggressive at the trade deadline,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale noted.

And the biggest name gaining traction is Tarik Skubal!

With things between Skubal and the Detroit Tigers not in the right direction since his arbitration, it is expected that Skubal would attract a good number of suitors.

But he would cost a fortune. The Blue Jays, though, have no other way, especially if Cease gets sidelined for a long time.

The Jays already were aggressive in the offseason, landing names like Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. The trade deadline should be no exception. And in the current scenario, don’t be surprised if the Jays give up some top prospects for Skubal.

It’s now or never. The Blue Jays have very little time to correct things.