After missing the entire 2009 campaign following Tommy John Surgery on his injured right elbow, Shaun Marcum's long road back to recovery came full circle Saturday. The 28 year old hurler was finally back in his element, facing major league hitters for the first time in 536 days. Marcum hardly skipped a beat, putting together two solid innings against the Yankees, striking out a pair without allowing a hit. The long 18 month rehab was a grueling process that took its toll on Marcum. After labouring through 2 innings in a mid September contest in '08, the righty presumably was set to miss the entire '09 season. A sense of optimism, however within the organization prompted the team to set a timeline for a return in early August. After going through a rehab stint in the minors, Marcum thought he'd be toeing the rubber for the first time in 11 months, but suffered back spasms in an outing with the Jays AAA farm team in Las Vegas, setting his progress back. Then in August came the birth of his second son, so the Blue Jays brass decided to sit Marcum down for the entire season as a precaution.
After going 21-13 with a 3.77 ERA primarily as a starter for the Jays from '07-08, Marcum, the longest tenured starter with the club, is a leading candidate to be pencilled in as the opening day starter provided he stay healthy. That would be the ultimate capper on the long road back for Shaun Marcum.
