NEW YORK — In the span of two hitters on Wednesday night, Dylan Cease went from chasing history to exiting his start against the Yankees alongside a team trainer.
The Padres’ right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium before Cody Bellinger’s one-out homer tied the game at 1-1. After striking out the next hitter, Cease threw three pitches to left fielder Jasson Domínguez before he received a visit from head athletic trainer Mark Rogow, plus manager Mike Shildt and pitching coach Ruben Niebla.
The specifics of Cease’s exit were unclear, though cameras showed him flexing his right forearm in the dugout and on the mound. The club has not provided an update on the nature of Cease’s potential injury. He appeared to be doing his best to convince Shildt and Niebla that he could remain in the game.
But Shildt called for right-hander Jason Adam, who was already warming in the Padres’ bullpen.
Cease’s start to the season has been a somewhat rocky one. He entered Wednesday’s game with a 5.61 ERA. But it quickly became clear that this was the dominant version of Cease.
The Padres can now only hope that they’ll continue getting that version of Cease, who has been one of the sport’s most durable pitchers. In parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, he’s virtually never missed a start, having tallied at least 32 starts in each of the past four seasons.
