Blue Jays’ Clement recovering well after taking pitch to face; Gausman feeling good
A wayward pitch by Tigers right-hander Ty Madden left Ernie Clement with a bruised and cut lip Monday, but all things considered the prognosis looks good for the Blue Jays third baseman a couple days later, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith.
BRADENTON, Fla. — A wayward pitch by Tigers right-hander Ty Madden left Ernie Clement with a bruised and cut lip Monday, but all things considered the prognosis looks good for the Blue Jays third baseman a couple days later.
Clement was set to go through a full workout at the Blue Jays’ player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., Wednesday with tentative plans for him to return to the starting lineup for Thursday’s Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He might wear a C-flap helmet for added production, but otherwise he could be ready to play just a few days after the injury scare.
“Ernie is doing well,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “He dodged a bullet, literally. Well, not literally, but pretty close to literally. Just a little bit of swelling, but he’s a hockey player at heart, so he’s doing well.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took Clement’s place at third base in Wednesday’s starting lineup, and while that’s not expected to be a normal occurrence for this edition of the Blue Jays, the added flexibility only helps. By mixing in some third-base reps now, the Blue Jays can be sure that Guerrero Jr. is relatively fresh at the position, should a need emerge unexpectedly at some point during the regular season.
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“Just having that availability is what we’re looking for,” Schneider said. “It may be something as the game unfolds and we’ve got to move (players) around a little bit, but most days it’s going to be at first base.”
GAUSMAN ENCOURAGED
A year ago, a shoulder issue limited Kevin Gausman to just one spring start, and the abbreviated ramp-up slowed his momentum early in the season. Now fully healthy, the right-hander made his 2025 spring debut right on schedule with a 38-pitch outing against the Pirates in which he topped out at 96.2 m.p.h.
“I feel good,” he said afterward. “It’s a lot different than last spring. Last spring, it was a lot harder to get to 86, especially those first couple weeks, so that was definitely a good sign. But more than anything, the ball’s coming out good and I was throwing my off-speed (stuff) hard, which is a good sign.”
Gausman went 1.2 scoreless innings in his spring debut, striking out two while walking one. His fastball averaged 94.9 m.p.h. and generated five swinging strikes against a Pirates lineup featuring regulars Tommy Pham, Oneil Cruz and Joey Bart. He also also mixed in his trademark splitter along with eight hard sliders, a pitch he’s hoping will help neutralize left-handed hitters this season.
“It was pretty sporadic today,” he said of the slider. “I need to figure out my release point better. … Once you get into games, it’s a completely different animal, so timing wise I need to fine-tune that.”
Later, prospect Jake Bloss had another tough outing, as he retired just two of the five batters he faced while walking two and allowing a hit. So far this spring, the 23-year-old right-hander has appeared in three games, allowing runs in each one on his way to three walks compared to only one strikeout.
He, too, topped out around 96 m.p.h., but his command appears to need further work in the minor leagues before he’s a viable big-league starting option. Of course, some ups and downs are to be expected for prospects like Bloss, who came back from Houston along with Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner in last summer’s Yusei Kikuchi trade.
NEW ROLE FOR FAMILIAR FACE
When the Blue Jays first hired Gil Kim in 2016, he was their director of player development. Later, he transitioned to a role on the major-league coaching staff, where he remained from 2020-24. Now, he’s no longer on the team’s new-look major-league staff, but he’s starting a new job as manager of the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays.
It’s a role that the Blue Jays expect will suit him well.
“From the day that I met Gil Kim, two things stood out to me,” said Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins. “One was his willingness to do whatever it takes to improve and get better, and to be the best at what he’s going to do. And then, secondarily, his innovation and creativity and willingness to do things that might look a little bit different. And I think those attributes have already made him a successful baseball executive and baseball coach, and now will make him a successful baseball manager.”
