ARLINGTON -- Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil will be out of action for at least two weeks because of a left triceps strain.
Cecil was placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to Sunday afternoon's game against the Rangers. He faced three batters in Saturday's 6-5 loss to Texas but felt some tightness when he was warming up on the mound. Right-hander Dustin Antolin was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to take Cecil's spot on the 25-man roster.
The discomfort dates back to an outing against the Rangers on May 3. Cecil felt discomfort prior to leaving the team for four days to attend the birth of his child. The hope was that the time away was all Cecil would need, and while he felt fine during that time, the problems resurfaced Saturday night.
"I think [manager John Gibbons] wanted me to get to that paternity leave and to have all those days off to let it rest," Cecil said. "It definitely helped, but it just needs more days of rest, of not throwing. ... Once that adrenaline kicks in on the game mound, it's tough to slow things down to where you can pitch comfortably. Even trying last night, I could still feel it."
Cecil is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, but he is not expecting to find any structural damage. He believes there is inflammation in the area, and that is also the theory the Blue Jays training staff is working from.
The 29-year-old Cecil has appeared in 16 games this season and has a 5.23 ERA in 10 1/3 innings. He has struggled at times but is still a major piece of Toronto's bullpen, and he will need to get right for the club to have a lot more certainty in late-inning relief.
Chad Girodo is the only left-hander remaining in Toronto's bullpen. Fellow lefties Aaron Loup and Franklin Morales are on the DL, and though Loup officially began his rehab assignment Saturday, he is at least a week away (and likely more than that) before he could be considered for a return.
"Just for peace of mind and precautionary reasons, make sure it's nothing more and then start rehab, try to get back as quick as possible," Cecil said of the upcoming MRI.
Antolin was 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA and three saves in 20 innings for the Bisons this season.