Toronto made a blockbuster deal for David Price at the trade deadline to anchor the pitching staff and now the Blue Jays may be adding another top-of-the-rotation arm to the mix.
Marcus Stroman, who had a fantastic rookie season in 2014 and was slated to be the Opening Day starter before suffering a torn ACL during spring training, is close to beginning a minor-league rehab assignment with an eye toward pitching this season.
He was initially expected to miss the entire year, but Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports that Stroman has recently been throwing from flat ground and could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment as soon as August 21.
Whether that would leave him enough time to build up the arm strength necessary to start games for the Blue Jays in September and potentially October remains to be seen, but at the very least a late-season bullpen role seems possible.
Stroman posted a 3.65 ERA and 111/28 K/BB ratio in 131 innings as a 23-year-old rookie, averaging 94 miles per hour with his fastball and allowing just seven home runs in 534 plate appearances. Regardless of the role, if healthy Stroman has the ability to make a big impact.