Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dustin McGowanNathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Dustin McGowan has been bumped from the starting rotation of the Toronto Blue Jays and moved back into the bullpen.
Toronto manager John Gibbons announced the switch Thursday afternoon a couple of hours before the Blue Jays were to take the field against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre.
McGowan didn't look very sharp in taking the loss Wednesday night when the Indians roughed up Toronto 15-4.
"I think it makes us stronger – I've always thought that," Gibbons said of the move. "But I've also been on board with the other thing because we were looking at starters.
"We were talking to him and he feels healthy and all that. But the last couple of starts the recovery time he hadn't felt as good."
The oft-injured McGowan was utilized primarily out of the bullpen last season, where he posted good results. He is 2-2 in eight starts this season. Through 39 innings McGowan has given up 46 hits, 22 earned runs, five home runs and 17 walks, while striking out 25 batters.
The plan was to have him do the same at the start of this season, but McGowan was added to the starting rotation coming out of spring training.
Marcus Stroman and Todd Redmond are both being considered as front-runners to replace McGowan in the rotation.