The Tampa Bay Rays announced Wednesday they are calling up a left-handed reliever who was a non-roster invitee in Spring Training. Ordinarily, that wouldn't really be news, but this time around it's Jonny Venters. 

Venters' story is one of incredible perseverance. It's been 2,028 days since he last appeared in the majors. Along the way, Venters had two Tommy John surgeries (the second and third of his career) and nearly had to have another when he once again tore the ulnar-collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. The Rays terms the procedure that time a "1/2 Tommy John." It's fuzzy, but the doctors did something and the point remains that this dude's elbow has been through a lot. Hell, he also worked this way through the minors to make The Show after being a 30th round draft pick in 2003. 

At one point in time, Venters was part of a knockout back-end duo alongside Craig Kimbrel on the Braves. An All-Star in 2011, check out Venters' first two seasons in the majors:   

Year

ERA

WHIP

K

IP

2010

1.95

1.21

93

83

2011

1.84

1.09

96

88

Perhaps the heavy workload for someone who already had a Tommy John surgery under his belt got to Venters. Or maybe his arm is just pre-disposed to the injury. After all, he's torn the UCL four times. 

Regardless, he's now heading back to a big-league clubhouse as an active member of a bullpen for the first time since 2012. His last appearances in a major-league game was the 2012 NL Wild Card game. That was the first one. Yes, the "infield fly" incident. You think that seems like a long time ago? Imagine how long ago it seems to Venters. 

Good for him and let this serve as the baseball-related feel-good story of April 25, 2018.