Just when it was looking a little bad, it got worse. Jon Gray is going to be out for a couple months with a broken wrist after taking a 108-mile-per-hour line drive off his hand.

With Cody Bradford out for six weeks, and Tyler Mahle experiencing forearm stiffness, that’s three of the five rotation arms with issues. Then there’s Jacob deGrom, who’s always one pitch away from a third Tommy John.

This is why major league managers earn so much money. It’s the stress. Knowing you are going to have to run starters out there who either aren’t ready or aren’t competitive and hope they can give you three or four innings until you go to your bullpen to try to navigate six innings.

Dane Dunning is always an option, as he has been every year. In 2023 he was a good option. Last year, not so good. Adrian Houser is an option, too, having started 152 games in his major league career. Of course, they can tap Rocker or Leiter. And, if desperation sets in, neither Kyle Gibson or Lance Lynn have been signed. But they wouldn’t be ready for weeks since they haven’t had any spring training to ramp up.

It’s a long season. They are going to have to figure out how to duct tape a rotation together until all everyone is healthy.

Assuming that ever happens.

*****

TODAY’S CACTUS LEAGUE GAME:

White Sox vs Texas, 3:05

Radio: 105.3 FM