Cain, who was an All-Star three times from 2009 to 2012, was bothered by bone chips in his elbow much of last year. He finally had surgery on Aug. 11 and later had an operation to remove a bone spur from his right ankle. Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
MIAMI — Call it Comeback Thursday.
Matt Cain, who hasn’t pitched since July 9, 2014, will make his return on Thursday against the Marlins.
Also in the game, the Marlins will start right-hander Jose Fernandez, who hasn’t pitched since May 9, 2014 due to Tommy John surgery.
Cain, who was an All-Star three times from 2009 to 2012, was bothered by bone chips in his elbow much of last year. He finally had surgery on Aug. 11 and later had an operation to remove a bone spur from his right ankle.
This year, Cain was slowed by a strained flexor tendon in his right arm.
“It’s been a long road back — longer than I thought it would be,” Cain said. “But it’s worth it.”
Cain was limited to 15 starts last year and produced just a 2-7 record and a 4.18 ERA.
This year, in four rehab outings, Cain had a 4.19 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.
If he is healthy, Cain commands his fastball on either side of the plate, ranging from 89 to 93 mph. He has solid off-speed stuff, which keeps batters from sitting on his fastball.
“I’ve missed pitching,” Cain said. “When you have (the game) taken away from you for a while, you learn to appreciate it more.”
