TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays intend to stretch out Marcus Stroman as a starter and see where that takes their rehabilitating right-hander, who threw off a mound Tuesday for the first time since tearing up his left knee in the spring.
Manager John Gibbons saw video of the session and said “you wouldn’t think anything was ever wrong with” the 24-year-old. Stroman’s next bullpen is slated for Friday and the pace of his progress will dictate when he throws a simulated game and starts a rehab assignment, tentatively slated for Aug. 21, and what role he’s in once he returns.
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The Blue Jays employed a similar approach with Aaron Sanchez, stretching him out at the beginning of his rehab from a lat injury before ultimately settling on using him as a reliever again. Stroman’s rehab will be adjusted as needed in the same way.
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That Stroman is this far along at all is a surprise given that when he tore the ACL in his left knee his entire 2015 was written off. He made a September return his goal, rebuilding the strength in his knee with workouts twice daily while completing his degree at Duke.
“I thought it was going to take him through the year, he’d heal up and then be good as new next year,” said Gibbons. “He’s young so he definitely heals quicker than the older guys but there’s also something different about Stro.”
Could he make it back as a starter?
“Maybe, I don’t know, can he get built up that way?” replied Gibbons. “He just threw on the mound for the first time. I think at the end of the month he’s going to start facing hitters, a simulated game isn’t an actual game yet, might be a little far-fetched but I don’t want to say no. Might not be anything wrong with him coming out of the pen for a couple of innings, either.”