Right-hander Marcus Stroman suffered what was believed to be a season-ending ACL tear during spring training but has recovered in six months and will start Saturday for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Stroman will be activated from the disabled list and take the mound against the New York Yankees in New York. The Blue Jays and Yankees face a crucial four-game weekend series in a tight American League East race.
The 24-year-old pitcher was injured during a fielding drill in spring training in March and believed to be out for the season. Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon who works on high-profile athletes, was stunned by Stroman’s rapid progress. And so was Stroman.
“That’s just crazy, six months later … I’m so excited,” Stroman said on Twitter.
Stroman pitched in two rehab games to prepare for his first start in the big leagues this year. In low-Class A last week, he struck out seven and allowed no runs in 5 1/3 innings but gave up four runs, eight hits and four walks in three innings of a Triple-A game on Monday.
Last season, Stroman posted an 11-6 record with a 3.65 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings that included 20 starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons plans to use Stroman in Mark Buehrle’s spot in the rotation for the time being while giving Buehrle some extra rest.