NEW YORK -- The Blue Jays have yet another blister issue to deal with after Marcus Stroman left Monday night's 6-3 loss to the Yankees following five innings because of a blister on his right middle finger.
Stroman became the second Toronto starting pitcher this season to leave a game because of a blister. Fellow righty Aaron Sanchez has been limited to five starts in 2017 because of a similar issue and while he's set to return Friday, Stroman's status remains in question.
The 26-year-old Stroman allowed two runs on five hits and a pair of walks before his departure. He hopes to make his next scheduled start Saturday afternoon against the Astros, but will have to wait another day or two before he knows for sure.
"His finger got raw and it could be the start of a blister so we yanked him," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He's never had a problem with it, but it was coming off that two-seam on the outside edge and so we figured that was good enough. Tonight was as good of stuff as I've ever seen him have. He was just missing a bit early on ... but as far as stuff goes, that was as good as I've ever seen him."

With one out and a runner on second in the fifth, Toronto's medical staff and Gibbons walked to the mound to check on Stroman. They closely examined his right hand and appeared to use a pair of nail clippers to trim an area of exposed skin.
Stroman remained in the game and retired the next two batters, but he did not return for the bottom of the sixth. Stroman threw 49 of his 79 pitches for strikes before he was removed. Monday's start also marked the sixth time in his past seven outings that Stroman surrendered three earned runs or fewer.
"Just got a blister," Stroman said after the game. "I've never had a blister ever in my life. Nothing remotely close to having a blister. It's crazy. It's extremely frustrating, extremely frustrating. I feel like it's an epidemic that's happening across the big leagues now, a bunch of pitchers getting blisters. Guys who have never had blisters before."
Over the past four seasons, a number of Major League pitchers have dealt with blisters, including Brett Anderson, Clayton Richard, Liam Hendriks, Rich Hill, Shane Greene, Jharel Cotton, Collin McHugh and Brett Oberholtzer.

Stroman has one scheduled start remaining before the All-Star break, but if he's forced to miss it, the Blue Jays could turn to right-hander Joe Biagini instead. Biagini made what was expected to be his final start for Toronto on Sunday with the pending return of Sanchez, but he could remain in the rotation for another start.
But that's something Stroman would like to avoid.
"I'm going to do everything in my power not to miss my next start," he said. "I'll be back out there in five days. I'll obviously do everything I can to get my body ready and then on the finger side, let it heal up and hopefully it gets to where it needs to be for my next start."