Cecil, the Blue Jays' closer, has not recorded a save since May 4.

Since recording his last save four weeks ago, Cecil has watched his ERA drop from 4.50 to 3.00 and has recorded at least one strikeout in each of his seven appearances; however, the team has not provided him a single save opportunity in the past four weeks.

Cecil struck out one and tossed a scoreless ninth inning Monday to earn his second save of the season.

The Blue Jays' decision to send Miguel Castro to Triple-A Buffalo should afford Cecil with some leash as the team's closer. He's now held the opposition scoreless in five of his last six appearances, trimming his season ERA from 8.10 to 4.50 in the process. Cecil's velocity remains down from his 2014 levels, as his entire arsenal has been consistently down between 2-4 mph thus far.

Cecil collected his first save of the season, giving up one hit and garnering one strikeout in Tuesday's 11-8 win over the Red Sox.

Cecil came into the season as the closer, but after missing time during the spring, he was rusty coming into the season and promptly blew his first opportunity before ceding the role to Miguel Castro. Cecil took full advantage of this latest opportunity, but it remains to be seen how firm a grasp on the closer role he has as the season progresses. For now, deploy him as you would any lower-tier closer option with the caveat that a bad outing or two could relegate him back to the seventh or eighth inning.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Tuesday that he will give Cecil another chance as the closer, John Lott of the National Post reports.

Miguel Castro gave up the winning run in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox, after Roberto Osuna blew a one-run lead in the eighth inning. It marked Castro's third straight appearance with a run allowed, though he still owns a respectable 3.60 ERA for the season. Cecil still hasn't looked like the best version of himself, but the Jays will give him another chance to work as the closer, with Osuna and Aaron Loup as the primary setup men. Castro, meanwhile, will pitch in the earlier innings, at least until he finds a groove.

Cecil picked up the win on Saturday, giving up a hit and striking out one in a scoreless 10th inning.

He topped out at 92 mph with his sinker, and while he still sports an ugly 6.23 ERA on the season, a few more solid outings could put Cecil back in the Jays' closer picture.

Cecil was lit up for three runs on three hits, including a pair of home runs, while recording just two outs and absorbing the loss in an 8-7 decision against the Braves on Friday night.

He entered the game with the score tied in the eighth inning, so he was not in a position to record a save, but before this meltdown, his recent performances might have positioned him for another go as Toronto's closer in the near future. Miguel Castro's spot in that role would now seem to be safe for the immediate future.

Cecil struck out the only batter he faced in Wednesday's 12-7 victory over the Rays.

After blowing his first save opportunity of the season, Cecil was relegated to the setup role, a place where he excelled last season. In three appearances since being demoted from the closer role, he's allowed just one baserunner in 2.1 innings with at least one strikeout in every appearance. Cecil was still recovering from a shoulder injury at the start of the season, but is now getting his sea legs under him. He could return to the closer role at some point this season, but has some value as a setup man as his high strikeout rate will garner him points even without saves.

Cecil tossed a scoreless eighth inning Sunday to earn a hold while Miguel Castro worked the ninth to record the save.

A shoulder injury slowed Cecil this spring, and his velocity has been down through three appearances since the start of the regular season. It's encouraging, however, that he averaged 91.4 mph on his four-seamer Sunday after sitting at 87.9 mph with the offering in his first appearance of the season Wednesday. For now, Castro appears to be the preferred option to close games, but it's unclear if Cecil will get a look in the near future if he can recoup the rest of his lost velocity, as he's still roughly 2.5 mph below his average from last season.

Cecil will likely work the seventh or eight inning if he pitches in Thursday's game against the Yankees, Sportsnet's Barry Davis reports.

Following Wednesday's blown save, the Blue Jays feel that Cecil isn't quite where he needs to be, after the lefty dealt with shoulder soreness in March. This may just be a short-term change, but Miguel Castro is expected to handle the ninth inning Thursday night, if a save situation arises. While Cecil is still worth holding on to in pretty much any format, this is a rather troubling development for his owners.

Cecil blew his first save opportunity of the year in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Yankees.

After being named the closer in late-March, fans were anxious to see how last year's setup man would perform in a high leverage situation. He was given that after being handed the ball with the bases loaded and no outs and mishandled it badly. He threw a wild pitch to the first batter, gave up an intentional walk, hit a batter and gave up a single, which ended his night. He didn't end up giving up any earned runs and wasn't saddled with the loss, but this is hardly a vote of confidence for the newly minted closer. With Roberto Osuna coming in to clean up the mess, he's a name to watch who could pilfer saves down the line.

Cecil, who was scheduled to make his second consecutive appearance Monday, did not travel with the team, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports.

Kennedy followed up by reporting that John Gibbons didn't think it was necessary for Cecil to make back-to-back appearances before the season started. Cecil could make an appearance over the next two games, so there is no indication that anything will change with his role as the closer.

Cecil (shoulder) pitched in a minor league game Tuesday, SportsNet's Barry Davis reports.

His curveball was crisp and he should get into a major league game some day soon. After being named the team's closer on Monday, Cecil has been one of the top waiver wire adds for leagues that have already drafted, and he should now be taken in all roto leagues that have yet to draft. As a lefty, Cecil may not be a traditional closer, but his numbers match what we like to see from ninth-inning hurlers, as he had 76 strikeouts in 53.1 innings (32.5 percent K-rate) in 2014.

Cecil (shoulder) was announced as the team's closer heading into the season on Sunday, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Cecil has been the front-runner for the job ever since Marcus Stroman tore his ACL, which in turn forced Aaron Sanchez to fill a spot in the rotation. Cecil put up good numbers the last two seasons as a full-time reliever, posting a 2.76 ERA across 114 innings while striking out 146 batters. HIs high strikeout totals and good peripherals make him a good closing option for fantasy owners in all leagues.

Cecil (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Barry Davis of Sportsnet reports.

While Cecil isn't yet ready to rejoin the club at this point, he appears to be progressing. He will likely face some live batting before returning to the bullpen, and could still be on schedule for the beginning of the season. With Aaron Sanchez expected to open the year in the starting rotation, Cecil is the favorite to begin as the closer. However, he'll need to prove his shoulder is healthy to secure the role.

Cecil (shoulder) threw 10 pitches off a mound Saturday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports.

While he still doesn't appear to be ready to make his Grapefruit League debut, it's an encouraging sign for Cecil that he's returned to the mound. He reported feeling great after the session and will throw a full bullpen Sunday, possibly the last hurdle before appearing in game action.

Cecil (shoulder) threw off flat ground in a brief session Wednesday, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports 1 reports.

Cecil only tossed five or six pitches and wasn't throwing at full effort, so it would seem he still has a few more barriers to cross before he's cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut.

Cecil (shoulder) will resume throwing Tuesday, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Cecil was held out of a scheduled appearance with shoulder soreness, though manager John Gibbons indicated he didn't think it was a serious ailment. If all goes well after Tuesday's throwing session, the 28-year-old should be ready to make his Grapefruit League debut sometime within the week. When he does return, Cecil will have the opportunity to earn the closer's role.

Cecil (shoulder) is not expected to pitch in a spring game for at least a week, the National Post reports.

An MRI revealed inflammation in one of the rotator cuff muscles in Cecil's left shoulder, which he suggested was the result of throwing too hard too soon after recovering from the flu. He is on anti-inflammatory medication and the pain is said to be dissipating already, but according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, manager John Gibbons suggested the missed time for Cecil could affect Aaron Sanchez's situation.

Cecil did not throw his scheduled inning in Friday's spring game due to minor soreness in his shoulder, Sportset's Shi Davidi reports.

Manager John Gibbons said the Blue Jays "don't think (Cecil's injury) is a big deal," but it's worth keeping an eye on his status given that he is dealing with an arm injury. Expect the Blue Jays to update his status at some point in the next few days.

Cecil has the makeup to close, but may not be the team's closer according to manager John Gibbons, John Lott of the National Post reports.

Cecil was excellent as a setup man last season, appearing in 66 games while recording 24 holds and five saves. He has electric stuff, recording 76 strikeouts in 53.1 innings while posting a 2.70 ERA. If Cecil wins the job out of camp, the lefty will be a worthwhile draft pick, but even if he doesn't end up as the ninth inning man, Cecil has value due to his high strikeout rate.