Cease’s stumble adds to Blue Jays’ rotation uncertainty after loss to Rangers

ARLINGTON, TX — For nearly two weeks now, it’s felt like Dylan Cease has been white-knuckling his season, correcting and counter-steering every lurch and pull as it careens from his control.

He entered September a legitimate Cy Young candidate. But then, a sudden velocity dip. The hard-hit rate shooting the opposite direction. A five-steal night exposing a blind spot in his game. Velocity dropping again.

He adjusted his between-start routines, took an extra day’s rest, talked about maximizing what he has. Yet, in his second and third outings of September, Cease’s fastball averaged less than 95-m.p.h. — the first time that’s happened in his career. He earned only one whiff with the pitch across those two outings, the swings against him growing dangerously comfortable.