Dylan Cease Provides Major Injury Update After Leaving Padres Game Early

If the San Diego Padres plan to put Dylan Cease on the injured list, they do not have to make the decision official until Friday. Thanks to Thursday's off-day, Cease can take his time updating the team on the status of his right forearm.

When the forearm cramped in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees — minutes after Cease allowed his first hit of the game — Padres manager Mike Shildt erred on the side of caution and removed his starting pitcher from the game.

The Padres might err on the side of caution again and place Cease on the 15-day IL. In the immediate aftermath of Wednesday's 10-inning loss, however, Cease sounded as if it wouldn't be necessary.

"I don't have any worry about my arm," Cease said, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "“I guess you never know. But I’m not in any pain or anything. I’m really not worried about it.”

Cease told reporters the injury was nothing more than a cramp.

"He wanted to keep pitching," Shildt told reporters at Yankee Stadium after Wednesday's game. "He threw the ball fantastic. Legitimate no-hit stuff. It was going to be a decision whether that was going to be a combined win or his, but Bellinger had something to say about it."

Mike Shildt said that the training staff isn't overly concerned about what was deemed a cramp for Dylan Cease, who wanted to continue pitching. Shildt also said Jackson Merrill shouldn't be compromised moving forward after being hit by a pitch in his elbow. pic.twitter.com/Wa98xuudft
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 8, 2025

Cease had not allowed a hit to the Yankees' powerful lineup through six innings when Cody Bellinger smoked a solo home run to right field, tying the game, 1-1, in the seventh.

Jason Adam took over for Cease and got the final out of the seventh inning to preserve the 1-1 score. New York won in its final at-bat in the 10th inning.

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Despite losing the no-hit bid, Cease's final line against the Yankees was impressive: 6.2 innings, one hit and one run allowed, along with two walks and nine strikeouts.

The greater concern was Cease's health, but based on his own self-evaluation, he will be able to make his next start. Cease has never been on the injured list for a soft or hard tissue injury in his career; his only IL stint was in 2021 in response to a possible COVID-19 exposure.

“We did all the testing,” Cease told reporters Wednesday. “I mean, nothing hurts or sore or anything. It was just, my hand locked up for a couple seconds and let go.”

In eight starts this season, Cease is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA. After allowing just 137 hits in 189.1 innings in 2024 — Cease's first season with the Padres — he's allowed 40 hits in 40.1 innings this year.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.