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TORONTO — As the Blue Jays wait for the entire rotation to step it up, Marcus Stroman needs to take a “step back.”

As a week to forget for the organization continues, Stroman and his 7.71 ERA were sent to the 10-day DL on Friday afternoon with what was described as right shoulder fatigue.

If you’ve watched him pitch, it’s hardly surprising that he’s not 100 per cent.

But there’s more going on with the 27-year-old hurler than just a physical problem that’s forced him to work extra hard to keep his velocity and stuff intact.

The mental side of a disappointing season seems to have gotten to Stroman, so much so that this DL stint feels like as much a break for his head as it is for the shoulder.

GM Ross Atkins said they found out Stroman’s shoulder wasn’t right in the days following Tuesday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners, a start in which he allowed five earned runs and hard contact all over the ballpark.

“When we were made aware of the fatigue, it became clear to us that that’s not a time to push,” Atkins said of the decision to send Stroman to the DL.

Addressing the media Friday afternoon before he heads out to begin the rehab process in Dunedin over the next few days, Stroman repeatedly pointed to his state of mind as something that needs to be fixed.

“It just got to a point where it became very frustrating physically, mentally,” Stroman said. “I was just at a point where I felt like I had to work at 115-120 per cent when I would normally be working at 80-85 per cent to do what I do out there. Just a collective decision between myself and the staff to kind of take a step back, do what I need to do for my shoulder and get my emotion and everything in sync to get back to myself. I haven’t been myself out there at all.”

Stroman didn’t want to go on the disabled list at first, which should surprise no one that’s spent any amount of time around the uber-competitive right-hander.

While there isn’t any sort of timeline for a return, it doesn’t sound like anyone expects it to be the minimum 10 days.

“I’d say there’s certainly a strong potential that it’s longer than that,” GM Ross Atkins said. “But we’ll see.”

Stroman was anything but certain that he’ll be back soon, as well.

“Daily, from the time I wake up until I go to bed, I’ve been trying to figure this out,” Stroman said. “So, yeah, it’s been frustrating. I don’t want to go to the DL. I’ve prided myself on being that person to take the ball every fifth day, no matter what.

“I’m off right now. It’s not all there. My plan is to get my arm where it needs to be, put everything in sync and be back there, hopefully, whether it be 10, 15, 20 (days), however long it may be, but with the right mindset and feeling good with each and every pitch.”

Both Stroman and Atkins said, in hindsight, they wouldn’t have slowed his return from shoulder inflammation during spring training, but it was only 22 days from the time it was announced he was being shut down Feb. 27 to his first Grapefruit League appearance March 21.

Eleven days later, he was on the mound at Rogers Centre facing the New York Yankees without much of a spring training.

“I don’t think so,” Stroman said when asked if he wishes he had taken things slower. “I’ve had that conversation with everyone. I don’t think that’s the conclusion. I don’t think I was necessarily rushed. There were spurts where I was feeling good, it’s just a matter of feeling good every pitch now.”

The reason this is happening now and not at any point over the past month when it became clear he wasn’t himself on the mound is because there were spurts and glimpses.

Sometimes it’d last a pitch or two.

Sometimes he’d string together a couple of vintage Stroman innings.

The stress of the struggles was quite evident.

It wasn’t the confident, cocky, in-control Stroman.

“Like I said, it just got to a point where it’s so mentally and physically frustrating that I just need to take a step back for a second, put it all together, and then come back and be myself out there,” Stroman said.

Not that Stroman’s efforts were helping much with 32 earned runs allowed in 37.1 innings, but a struggling rotation is now in a compete lurch.

Even though the Jays resisted announcing it, Joe Biagini will start Sunday in Stroman’s place, unless something goes awry and he’s needed in relief against the potent Red Sox lineup over the next two days.

Sam Gaviglio is also on hand to provide innings and insurance.

With a collective 5.53 ERA, the rotation has been the biggest disappointment of the season, a complete surprise since it was expected to be the strength.

It’s left pitching coach Pete Walker with a lot of sleepless nights.

“We’ve seen some glimpses,” Walker said prior to Friday’s opener against the Red Sox.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating. I don’t sleep a lot when my guys struggle.

“When things are rolling, everything seems to go your way. When you’re struggling, it seems like you can’t get out of your own way and every ball finds a hole and every fly ball reaches the seats. That’s kind of where we’re at, but I believe in these guys and I trust them wholeheartedly that they’ll continue to work hard and stay positive and get through it.”

Stroman expects to be a part of a significantly improved rotation when he returns, whenever that might be.

“I see the work ethic and the group of guys that we do have on this staff, and I know what we’re capable of, things just haven’t gone our way,” Stroman said. “But that’s not to say that things won’t start going our way today or going forward. Between Happ, Sanchie, Estrada, Jaime, I love our staff, each and every guy. I truly believe we have five guys who can take the ball and get a win each and every time. We’ve just been struggling a bit, which happens in sports.”

The rotation will have to get it together while Stroman is down or he may come back to a team pivoting off its hopes of contending in 2018.​