The Blue Jays might just have had enough beatings that it could take. While their pitching is already battered with the absence of the elite arms, the best they had so far exited Sunday’s game against the Pirates. If that was not enough, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also joined the list as he pulled himself out after being hit by a pitch.

As the Blue Jays are currently scrambling for replacements, things are looking as bad as they could.

“Vladdy immediately pulled himself from the game after getting hit by a pitch. Jays starter Dylan Cease already exited the game with an injury as well,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

Guerrero was batting in the fifth when the Pirates were leading 2-1. A 92 mph sinker off Mitch Keller directly hit his body. Guerrero tried to dodge the ball but couldn’t. From the footage, it seems like a hard hit because the ball hit his unprotected right elbow. Guerrero had his guard on the left elbow, but Keller’s pitch hit his right elbow.

From how Guerrero yelled an expletive and faced Keller, a bench-clearing incident was looming, but fortunately, nothing such happened. Guerrero was visibly in pain. He didn’t wait anymore and walked into the dugout with manager John Schneider and the trainer checking on him. Lenyn Sosa replaced him, and Guerrero never returned to the game. And the worst part was this was the second exit of a Blue Jays player on Sunday after Dylan Cease.

Cease started the day with his expected dominance, allowing 2 ERs, 1 walk, and 8 SOs. However, in the fifth, he was twice visited by the training staff, which made the fans sense something was wrong. The Jays’ $210 million arm was removed then, and the Blue Jays confirmed left hamstring discomfort. It is still not sure if Cease needs an MRI, but uncertainty looms in his availabilty in his next scheduled start next Friday against the Orioles.

“Dylan Cease has been removed from today’s game with an apparent injury. Just about the last thing the Blue Jays‘ rotation can take right now. Updates to come as they’re shared with us,” MLB insider Keegan Matheson added.

So, the Jays are currently without their two cornerstones from the offense and pitching. Guerrero is hitting .287 in 52 games with 3 HRs. While this is surely not a typical Guerrero’s stats, his 22 RBIs and 54 hits are still the second highest in the team. On the other hand, Cease was going strong, currently standing with a 2.98 ERA.

For now, the availability of both is uncertain, and this adds to the Jays’ already injury-ridden roster.

The Blue Jays might be the worst-hit team from injuries. Apart from Cease, José Berríos is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Max Scherzer is on the 15-day IL for forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. Shane Bieber is on the 60-day IL recovering from elbow issues and beginning rehab assignments. Effectively, the Jays’ rotation is majorly sidelined after Cease.

The offense looks similar. Guerrero joined Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, and Nathan Lukes in the IL. The only silver lining from here is some exciting trade rumors coming in.

The Blue Jays may be involved in some blockbuster trades

Considering the current scene in the Blue Jays clubhouse, trading new names is the only option left for the front office. And a few blockbuster updates are brewing.

“The Blue Jays should be fine in time, and rivals expect them to be aggressive at the trade deadline,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale noted. And the biggest names that’re getting traction are Tarik Skubal! With things between Skubal and the Tigers not in the right direction since his arbitration, it is expected that Skubal would attract a good number of suitors.

However, Skubal would cost a fortune. The Blue Jays, though, had no other way, especially if Cease gets sidelined for a long time. The Jays already were aggressive in the offseason, landing names like Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. The trade deadline should be no exception. And in the current scenario, don’t be surprised if the Jays give up some top prospects in exchange for Skubal.

For the fans, it’s now or never. The Blue Jays have very little time to correct things.