Kevin Gausman hasn't found his footing since the Blue Jays traded him to the Chicago Cubs.
The right-hander carries a 6.17 ERA over 11.2 innings with Chicago, going 1-1 in his time there.
That's a rough opening chapter for a pitcher who spent years anchoring Toronto's rotation.
Gausman was dealt at the trade deadline, closing out a run in Toronto that included plenty of big moments.
Now he's trying to find his rhythm in a new clubhouse, on a new mound, with a new catcher behind the plate.
Adjustments like that don't always come quickly, even for a veteran with his resume.
Is this an early blip, or a sign the 35-year-old is hitting a rougher stretch of his career? It's too soon to say either way.
What the early numbers mean for his next few starts
Eleven and two-thirds innings is a small sample. But a 6.17 ERA doesn't leave much room for excuses either.
For the Blue Jays, watching a former workhorse struggle elsewhere doesn't erase the return they got in moving him.
Toronto is chasing a wild-card spot right now, and that trade was built around adding pieces for this exact stretch run.
Whether the deal ages well depends far more on what Toronto does with what it got back than on Gausman's ERA in Chicago.
Still, for a pitcher who logged years of innings in a Blue Jays uniform, this stretch is a strange way to start a new chapter.
The Cubs will need him to figure it out fast if they want that rotation slot to matter down the stretch. Right now, it's an open question.
Do you think Kevin Gausman turns his season around with the Cubs?
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