Stroman (pectoral cramp) exits game 

TORONTO -- Saturday’s walk-off win over the Royals offered a troubling sight for Blue Jays fans.

In the top of the fifth inning, Marcus Stroman -- the team’s most consistent starter this season -- abruptly left the mound and the game after throwing just two pitches in the frame at Rogers Centre. The hurler left the game with a left shoulder pectoral cramp.

“I thought it was something that I would be able to work out over the next few pitches,” Stroman said. “I felt it and then I thought it was something that over the next few pitches, at my intensity level, I thought it would have fixed itself. But it was there, [so] just being cautious I figured I’d come out rather than chancing it.”

There’s no doubt in Stroman’s mind that he will not miss his next start or require any additional time to work through the issue.

“Just a little cramp,” he said. “Nothing I’m too worried about. I just felt it progress to get better as I went into the inning, but it just stayed consistent and made it hard to do what I do in my delivery. So I’ll just figure it out these next few days and be back on the mound in five.”

The 28-year-old right-hander has impressed throughout his sixth season in the big leagues, making a bid to represent the Blue Jays at the upcoming All-Star Game with a 3.04 ERA over 17 starts and 100 2/3 innings with 77 strikeouts, ahead of Saturday’s affair.

“He’s not going to miss any time,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “He cramped up and he just couldn’t get loose, he couldn’t get stretched out so that’s what happened. He’ll be fine for his next start.”

In the second game of the four-game set with the Royals, Stroman finished four innings and allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. In his last three starts before taking on Kansas City, the righty pitched to a 1.89 ERA. He shut out the Red Sox in his most recent start on Sunday.

“I felt great,” Stroman said of his time on the mound before the injury. “My stuff felt great. … I think I would have rolled through six, through seven innings if I could have stayed healthy.

Stroman’s name has been floated as a valuable chip in many of the rumours leading up to the Trade Deadline.