Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Brett Cecil suffered a torn calf muscle in his left leg during Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers last season.MIKE CASSESE/Reuters
When John Gibbons dreams of last year's chaotic playoff run by his Toronto Blue Jays, he sees a different outcome than the one that ultimately played out.
In his mind, Brett Cecil never suffered the torn calf muscle in his left leg tracking down Mike Napoli of the Texas Rangers in a rundown during Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
Toronto goes on to win the series against the Rangers, which is as it played out in reality.
And then, against the heavy, lefty-hitting batting order of Kansas City, with the lefty Cecil playing a large role as he had all season out of the bullpen, the Blue Jays go on to take the ALCS and meet the New York Mets in the World Series.
At this point, the manager will wake up in a cold sweat, knowing it did not quite play out that way.
Cecil did hurt himself and was through for the rest of the playoffs. And the Blue Jays ultimately fell in six games to the Royals, who would go on to topple the Mets in five to win the World Series.
"You never know," Gibbons said, somewhat wistfully, last week when recounting his revisionist history.
"He [Cecil] would have been so valuable," Gibbons continued. "I can count almost every game where he would have been our best option."
As painful as it is, Cecil also can't help but to let his mind drift back, as well.
"There were countless times where they'd have somebody up in the bullpen and I knew there was a very good chance it would have been me," Cecil said. "That's when it probably hurt the most. But those things happen. It's water under the bridge and I'm just looking forward to this year."
Cecil is back now, although he is still feeling minor residual after-effects from the calf injury at spring training in Florida.
As a precaution, Cecil has yet to get into a game after a week of play in the Grapefruit League. He joins Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion in that regard, as the defending A.L. East champs continue to take training slow and easy.
Cecil's first appearance is expected to come Monday in Dunedin, where the Blue Jays will take on the Atlanta Braves at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.
Gibbons said Bautista should get into his first game in Tampa on Thursday, when the Blue Jays play the New York Yankees. Encarnacion will also play this week the manager hopes, but was still unsure of a date.
Here on Sunday at Osceola County Stadium, the Houston Astros toppled the Blue Jays 7-1, Toronto's first setback in six outings so far this spring.
Former Blue Jay Colby Rasmus hit a home run for Houston off Toronto starter Marcus Stroman in the top of the second inning.
Other than that, Stroman looked solid in his second spring start, allowing just the lone hit while recording four strikeouts in three innings.
For the first time in a long time at a Blue Jays spring training, there is no talk about Cecil in the mix to becoming the closer.
That battle will be exclusive to Roberto Osuna and newcomer Drew Storen.
Cecil will remain right where he was for most of the season last year, as the seventh- or eighth-inning setup man out of the bullpen, where he was invaluable in 2015.
"Would I take another shot at closing if they asked me?" Cecil said. "Of course. No doubt in my mind. But I'm comfortable where I'm at.
"Storen has obviously done it [closed] in the past and he's comfortable with where he is at. Osuna can do it and he's comfortable. Either way you slice the pie in that direction should give you the same results."
Cecil actually started last season as the Toronto closer but was rocky out of the gate. The experiment ended in late June after he was smoked for four earned runs in the ninth inning against the Orioles.
After that, he became practically invincible as a setup man and did not allow an earned run the rest of the season. It was an amazing streak of 37 games in which he allowed just 17 hits over 31 2/3 innings.
Cecil also recorded 44 strikeouts during the run, utilizing a big curve ball that hitters had few answers for.
"It's one of those pitches where they know it's coming and we sit on the bench and marvel because these are tremendous major-league hitters that can't seem to put the barrel on the ball, especially right-handed hitters," said Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker. "There's a lot of swing and miss; there's a lot of weak contact. And he can throw it at will, which is a huge advantage for him."