On Tuesday, Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous announced that 23-year-old right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during bunting practice. Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com was the first to officially report the news. Stroman will miss the entire 2015 season.
The Blue Jays had a real opportunity to make the playoffs, and Stroman was looking for a breakthrough year to help them achieve that feat. After losing their young starter, they must look to trade options because they have a weak rotation. Stroman will turn 24 in May, so he still has a lot of baseball in his future, but just not this season.
If the Blue Jays cannot get another pitcher via trade, then Marco Estrada, Daniel Norris, and Aaron Sanchez will be a few of the pitchers who can take over until next season.
Stroman felt a pop during a team bunt drill during Spring Training. He really has caught some bad luck. The right-handed pitcher had a lot going for him.
The second-year player pitched in two games and 4.1 innings this spring. He gave up four hits and one run, but it was not earned. His ERA is 0.00 with a 1.38 WHIP. Stroman has struck out four hitters and walked two.
During 2014, his rookie season, Stroman went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA over 26 games (20 started). He went 130.2 innings and gave up just seven home runs and walked 28 hitters. Stroman's 111 strikeouts were very impressive, and his rookie WHIP of 1.17 got many buzzing about the New York-born pitcher.
Stroman will be pre-arbitration eligible in 2015 and will be officially arbitration-eligible in 2018. The 5-foot-9 pitcher will become a free agent in 2021.