Last year, Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman tore his ACL during a fielding drill in spring training and missed most of the season. He was able to return in September and pitch in the postseason, but the injury limited him to only four regular season starts.
Stroman put the time he missed to good use. He went back to school and completed his degree in sociology at Duke, all while rehabbing the injury. And this weekend, Stroman is going to return to Duke yet again, this time to attend his graduation ceremony, according to the Canadian Press.
Here's more:
"When I went to Duke University, I chose to graduate from there," Stroman said. "You don't choose a place like Duke to leave early. I was honestly upset when I had to leave. Obviously I couldn't turn down what was being offered, but I was upset because I didn't finish my degree."
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"I never thought I'd be thankful for tearing my ACL, but I am because I grew so much as an individual." Stroman said. "I was able to get my degree and I got stronger mentally and physically through it all."
Stroman left the team following Wednesday's start in San Francisco. The Duke commencement ceremony is Sunday, and Stroman will make his next start as scheduled on Tuesday. He's not missing a start and will do all his side work while away from the team. The Blue Jays obviously trust him; they let Stroman rehab his knee away from their trainers.
Not many players go back to school to finish their degree after turning pro, and even those who do often wait until their playing careers have ended. Stroman was in a unique situation because of his injury. Pretty cool that he'll get to go to the ceremony without missing a start.
The Blue Jays selected Stroman out of Duke with the 22nd pick of the 2012 draft when he was a junior. They offered him a $1.8 million signing bonus, and while he obviously wanted to finish his degree, it's awfully tough to turn down a payday like that.
Stroman is 4-0 with a 3.54 ERA (112 ERA+) so far this season. He leads baseball with 54 innings pitched.
