is one of a few Blue Jays pitchers who has been a bit behind this spring. The Jays scratched him from a throwing se sion on Monday as he dealt with general fatigue in his throwing shoulder. While any mention of shoulder discomfort for a pitcher of Gausmans caliber will raise some concern, it doesnt appear to be an i sue thatll carry into the year. Manager John Schneider said yesterday the Jays were hopeful to have their ace working off a mound again by next Monday. In an appearance on SiriusXMs MLB Network Radio with Steve Phillips and Xavier Scruggs this afternoon, Gausman downplayed any concern. Just had to slow it down a little bit and not jump in to facing hitters right away, but Ill be ready for the regular season, he said. There are just under three weeks until Opening Day. Gausman, if healthy and fully built up, would get the call for that tilt against the Rays. The Jays certainly arent going to force the i sue for a largely symbolic honor, so they could elect to hold off his season debut until their series opener against the Astros on April 1. That would likely leave the Opening Day a signment to . He and Gausman will be joined in the season-opening starting five by and . The Jays expected to secure the fifth starter role entering camp, but he has been delayed by Victor Mesa Jersey shoulder sorene s. If hes not available to start the season, righty seems the likeliest candidate to step in. Francis pitched to a 1.73 ERA over 20 MLB appearances in long relief last year. He has never started a big league game but reached as many as four innings out of the bullpen. Francis has started two of three spring appearances, working eight frames of three-run ball with 10 strikeouts. must also make the MLB roster or be offered to other teams, as he has exhausted his minor league options. He has worked in a swing capacity at the big league level and owns an ERA just under 5.00 over 161 1/3 MLB innings. Unlike Francis, White is off to a rocky start to the spring. He has walked six with just a pair of strikeouts in six innings spanning three relief outings. Hed probably be ticketed for long relief if Francis grabs the fifth starter spot. Offseason signee and top prospect could factor into the rotation mix over the course of the year. wrote last night that neither player is viewed as a realistic candidate to break camp, however. Rodrguez sat out last season after pitching in the World Baseball Cla sic as he waited for MLB to declare him a free agent. Tiedemann had a pair of stints on the minor league injured list and was limited to 44 innings over 15 appearances acro s four levels. The Jays will need to be cautious with the workloads for both pitchers, an easier task if they open the year in Triple-A. Theyve each been a little behind in camp. Rodrguez has battled back spasms and Tiedemann was delayed by leg inflammation. Neither injury is serious and both pitchers should soon see game action. Eli Villalobos Jersey