5 Blue Jays players who were cursed in 2023

Over the course of the 2023 season, the Toronto Blue Jays had many players that made significant contributions to the ballclub in helping them reach their ultimate goal in making the MLB playoffs. In one way or another, they either met or exceeded expectations in guiding the team towards winning and success.

However, there were a few players that seemed to be cursed in terms of the amount of bad luck they ran into in 2023, as they had previously proven to be invaluable contributors in the past. Here, we take a look at five players that unfortunately didn’t end up having the year they envisioned despite their sound track record, but hopefully can bounce back in the not-so-distant future.

Adam Cimber

For Adam Cimber, 2023 was certainly a year he would like to forget. Cimber was coming off an impressive 2022 season with the Jays in which he compiled a strong 10-6 record with 19 holds and four saves, along with a 2.80 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 70.2 innings pitched. He was certainly looking towards a third consecutive strong season with the ballclub ever since coming over from the Miami Marlins back in 2021.

He actually began the 2023 season on a good note, as he held his opponents scoreless in his first four outings of the season. However, things would begin to spiral downward for Cimber from there on. He would surrender runs in four of the next seven outings and eventually land on the IL by the end of April due to a right rhomboid strain. After coming back near the end of May, things got even worse for Cimber as in his next 11 appearances, he would give up 12 earned runs including three home runs in just 10.2 innings of work for a horrific 10.13 ERA and 1.88 WHIP. His season would end mercifully when he found himself on the IL once again due to a right shoulder impingement that eventually became a season-ending injury.

Cimber has been a solid MLB reliever ever since his debut in the majors back in 2018 with the San Diego Padres. Over his six-year career, he had been one of the more reliable and dependable bullpen arms in MLB during that span, so it’s most certain that he didn’t just forget how to pitch all of a sudden. So perhaps he just ran into a case of bad luck, along with some ailments that no doubt affected his effectiveness. Hopefully he will have the opportunity to bounce back in 2024 when given the chance once again by the Jays.