What a night in San Diego — and not necessarily for the reasons anyone expected. Let’s talk about Dylan Cease. If you’re a Padres fan, you were either holding your breath, biting your nails, or yelling at your screen last night, because this one had everything: dominance, drama, and a twist that nobody saw coming.
A No-Hit Bid and Then… the Arm Shake
So here’s how it all went down: Dylan Cease, the right-hander with a rollercoaster of a season so far, was out there dealing against the Yankees. We’re talking 6 ⅓ innings of no-hit baseball.
The man was putting on an absolute masterclass, slicing through one of the most dangerous lineups in the game. He had nine strikeouts, just two walks, and only one blemish on his record — a solo homer from Cody Bellinger that tied the game.
Because right after that home run, things got weird.
Cease struck out Anthony Volpe, worked a 1-2 count against Jasson Domínguez, and then something wasn’t right. Cameras caught him shaking his throwing arm, and before you could say “Tommy John,” he was walking off the mound.
The Padres brought in Jason Adam to finish the inning and keep things tied, but the big question isn’t about the scoreboard anymore — it’s about Cease.
A Pitching Puzzle Beneath the Surface
Now, context is everything. Cease came into this game with a 5.61 ERA and more than a few skeptics. Analysts — including those at CBS Sports — pointed to some real mechanical changes this year.
He’s lowered his arm angle, which is giving his fastball more armside run (which sounds fun until you realize it’s messing with his overall pitch mix). His sweeper doesn’t have the same bite, and his curveball? It’s just not landing for strikes like it used to. Only 45.8% of the time, compared to 56%+ in previous years. That’s a red flag waving in neon lights.
This guy is trying to adjust, reinvent a bit, and find consistency again. He’s shown flashes, like last night, but the margin for error is razor-thin when the underlying mechanics are in flux, and especially when your elbow or shoulder starts talking back.
Padres Rotation on the Brink
And let’s not forget — he’s a pending free agent. This start was supposed to be a showcase moment. And for six-plus innings, it was exactly that. But leaving the mound mid-at-bat, visibly uncomfortable? That turns everything upside down. His future, his value, his team’s rotation — all up in the air now.
The Padres are already down three starting pitchers. Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Matt Waldron are all on the shelf. So if Cease is the next domino to fall, it’s not just his season in question — it’s the Padres’ whole strategy.
With a 23-12 record, this team is hot on the heels of the Dodgers in the NL West. They’ve been overachieving, grinding, proving people wrong. But if Cease is out for any length of time, San Diego’s depth — or lack thereof — is going to be under the microscope.
What started as a nearly historic performance ended in a whole lot of uncertainty. And for a guy fighting to reestablish himself, and a team trying to hold the line, that’s a gut punch.
Let’s just hope it’s precautionary. Because the Padres — and Cease — can’t afford for it to be anything else.
