Matz struggles in return; Blue Jays fall in 10

Tuesday’s trade for Adam Cimber rightfully centered the focus on the Blue Jays’ bullpen, which will need more upgrades this month leading up to the Trade Deadline. But the expectation earlier this season was that it would be the rotation Toronto needed to address.

That’s changed in a dozen ways since. Robbie Ray decided to stop walking people and has become the club’s No. 2 starter. Ross Stripling reached bottom and bounced back, stabilizing a mid-rotation spot. Alek Manoah went from the Spring Training darling to a pitcher the Blue Jays are officially leaning on to win today. Then, we come to Steven Matz.

The good news is that Matz pitched on Wednesday, returning from the COVID-19 IL. His start in the 9-7 loss in 10 innings to the Mariners at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, N.Y., was tough, though, as Matz allowed four runs over 2 2/3 innings, leaving after allowing a home run to Kyle Seager. Matz wasn’t expected to push deep into his first start back and his fastball velocity was down just a touch, which is to be expected after his time off. But the left-hander is still looking to recapture the form from his dazzling start.

“It’s just the feel. I was feeling really good in my last start in Boston and a few starts before, so it’s just about getting that rhythm, getting the feel for all my pitches and my sharpness and conviction on everything,” Matz said. “I threw a live BP and honestly felt really good, really happy with where I was at. In the bullpen before the game I felt good, but then when I got out there today, the sharpness just wasn’t there. That was a little frustrating.”

Matz opened the year 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA, and at that point, he looked like the answer that Ray has since become in this rotation. In the 10 starts since, though, Matz has pitched to a 5.69 ERA that’s come with some ups and downs. That’s what makes him so tantalizing, too, when he turns in dominant outings like his win over the Red Sox prior to hitting the IL and another win over the Yankees in late May, when he struck out 10 over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

Manager Charlie Montoyo saw this as rust, and that makes sense. From here, Montoyo just thinks that Matz needs to pitch, pitch and pitch some more. Matz echoed that sentiment, and it’s clear that he was impacted by the disruption to his schedule.

“I was really feeling good this season. I was really happy with where I was at,” Matz said. “I was having a good routine and it definitely was a bummer to miss those 10 days.”

The 30-year-old left-hander will still have every opportunity to solidify that spot on the back end of the Blue Jays’ rotation, and rightfully so. Those flashes show Matz’s impressive raw talent, and he was starting to show the ability to haul real innings, topping 110 pitches in two of his past four starts entering Wednesday. If and when the Blue Jays upgrade this rotation, though, who gets squeezed out?

The highlight of Wednesday’s pitching performance was actually another left-hander who’s felt that squeeze a few times, Anthony Kay. Coming on in relief, Kay looked as good as he has in a Blue Jays uniform, striking out five over four shutout innings. Not only did he shut down the Mariners long enough for the Blue Jays to fight back, but he saved the rest of the ‘pen and did so efficiently on just 54 pitches, which has been an issue for him in the rotation at times.

“He’s a long guy, so it was a perfect time since he’s pitching great to let him go over 50 pitches,” Montoyo said. “He did a great job. That was good to see.”

A Lourdes Gurriel Jr. home run in the eighth inning forced extras, but Patrick Murphy surrendered a three-run shot in the 10th to Dylan Moore that made all the difference. Murphy has flashed his talent at times since making his 2021 debut in mid-June, but he’s had a couple of ugly outings in between. After Anthony Castro and Joel Payamps were optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday to clear room on the roster for Matz and Cimber, it looks like this group will continue to churn as the Blue Jays add.

Matz will value getting back into his normal routine, where he can work to find consistency instead of building back up from time away. But as the Deadline creeps closer through the month of July, this rotation and bullpen will both be under the microscope.