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Oct. 10 Brett Cecil pregame interview

Q. Start by describing how the injury happened. We saw it on TV but it didn't seem all that severe watching from the outside?

BRETT CECIL: Yeah, just I picked Napoli off, ran over to, you know, be a part of the rundown, that's my job, where I'm supposed to go, and as soon as he -- as soon as Tulo threw me the ball I started to close ground on Napoli, and as soon as I took that first step I felt it pop. I don't know how I took an extra two steps, but I was able to get there and tag him. And then just the adrenaline took over for a second and just the pain set in and it was tough to get off the field, that's for sure.

Q. Did you know right away that it was something pretty severe, or were you kind of hoping that maybe it was just -- that it would, I guess, let down and that maybe it wouldn't come to this?

BRETT CECIL: Right when it happened, I honestly thought it was just like a cramp. I mean, I've been doing the same stretches in the bullpen for 163 games now, and never had anything major like this happen. I just thought it was a cramp, and then when I realized I might need some help getting often the field, even though I didn't take it but knew it would probably be a few days at least and then when the MRI came back, they said it was pretty torn up.

Q. Brett, obviously no injury is great, but the way you've been going here in such a role, the team's in the playoffs, it just must make it even more devastating?

BRETT CECIL: Absolutely, I cried walking back to my locker. It was just -- it just sucks. Not only lose the first two games, almost lost Donnie and Bautista, but I go down. And it's not the way I perceived it ending, that's for sure.

Q. So there wasn't anything really unusual about the way you moved, you didn't have to do anything particularly awkward or anything like that?

BRETT CECIL: No. That's the weirdest part about it, is I didn't do anything, I didn't twist an ankle to make anything move different. Just right onto the first, I broke down, turned towards Tulo, realized I was probably going to get the ball thrown to me and as soon as he released it, I just took that closing step forward to close the gap to me and Napoli so I could tag him. As soon as I took that -- pushed off with the left leg, just felt it pop. Felt like somebody kicked me.

Q. And Napoli, it seemed -- Napoli, because we were watching it, he rolled into you a little bit but you were already injured at that point, right?

BRETT CECIL: Yeah, I had already felt it pop and yeah, I mean, and then like everything went blank until I started hopping on one leg. I don't even remember tagging him or jumping over him or anything like that. No, I didn't land on him, I didn't do anything but tag him. All that's irrelevant, it had nothing to do with injury. As soon as I went to push off, it was when it happened.

Q. Brett, after two games, obviously has not gone the way the Blue Jays wanted, what is the frame of mind in that clubhouse going to Game 3, the team's in real dire straits obviously?

BRETT CECIL: Yeah. I'll tell you they were in good spirits last night. Plane ride, bus rides, everything. I like to see that. I don't want to hear dead silence. We're facing elimination, and you don't want to go into a game like that, playing tight. You don't want to go into any game playing tight. We do have some ground to make up, but I think the guys were -- guys were loose, guys were looking forward to the off day, get a good workout in and hopefully take it to them tomorrow.

Q. Obviously you've been taken off the ALDS roster. Do you have a sense of how soon -- saw you limping -- do you have a sense of how soon it will be before you're back to full strength?

BRETT CECIL: I have no idea. They told me my season was done, didn't really give me a timeline but told me definitely obviously before spring training. It's just the muscle. And it will be good. Just doing treatments right now. And going to go cheer my (tail) off tomorrow.

Q. No surgery?

BRETT CECIL: No.