A hard-throwing right-hander is set to make a season debut, coming off the injured list to boost a struggling club. This return is a shot in the arm for a rotation that already features another player having a strong season.
The Road Back
The pitcher has been sidelined since early in the year after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from an elbow. This latest setback followed a history of not making many starts in previous major league seasons. However, the path to recovery included minor league rehab starts, where the pitcher showed impressive form, racking up strikeouts and unleashing a fastball that topped out at high speeds.
In a final rehab outing, the pitcher threw a significant number of pitches over several innings, allowing minimal hits and striking out multiple batters. The manager confirmed there are no plans to limit the pitcher's workload, stating confidence that the pitcher is "strong enough (and) stretched out enough, healthy enough, where we’re going to get him back, not just in name only, but in production also.”
Eye on the Prize
Despite currently sitting in last place in its division, the club holds onto hopes of climbing back into the wild-card race. The returning pitcher shares that optimism, ready to contribute. "I’m confident that I’ll be a really good asset to that full picture,” the returning pitcher stated. This pitcher was an All-Star in a previous year and had a solid previous season despite multiple stints on the injured list for a groin issue, accumulating a significant number of career strikeouts over many starts.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.