Overview
- An MRI confirmed inflammation in Cease’s right shoulder with no structural damage and no surgery expected.
- Cease will skip his upcoming scheduled start and the club says he may not pitch again this season as they monitor his recovery.
- The right-hander first noticed problems after a 120‑pitch complete game on July 25 and has reported a drop in velocity since then.
- Manager John Schneider said Cease would pitch again this year only if he feels fully recovered and a game’s importance justified the risk.
- Cease finished a dominant 2026 campaign with a 2.40 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 169 innings, and the club is already discussing ways to pace his workload in 2027.