Stroman ‘anxious’ ahead of spring debut

The Stro Show is about to make its 2018 premiere. Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker told Postmedia Thursday the team’s top pitcher from last season will make his first appearance of the spring in Saturday’s split-squad game against the Canadian junior team.

Of even more significant news for the Jays, Stroman, who has been sidelined with shoulder inflammation, could still be ready to pitch in the season-opening series against the New York Yankees. “We’re taking it outing by outing with him from this day on,” Walker said before the Jays’ game against the Red Sox. “We’re still hopeful he can be in that series against the Yankees.

“But we’re going to do what’s best for him and we want to make sure that he’s 100 per cent when he steps foot on a major-league mound.”

Stroman remained Thursday in Dunedin, Fla., where he threw a side session, and is expected to get a couple innings of work against the Canadian juniors. “We’ll keep progressing from there,” Walker said. “He feels great. No ill effects at all from the previous inflammation and he’s very anxious to get back out there.” As you might expect, the highly motivated Stroman does not want to miss the opening series. He already expressed regret he won’t get the opening-day start. The good news is Stroman seems to be in fine form and is making up for lost time. “His last side session was tremendous,” Walker said. “His stuff looked great. He was crisp, good sink, good breaking stuff, almost didn’t miss a beat.” Though it was Marco Estrada’s turn in the rotation Thursday, he remained in Dunedin as well to pitch in a minor-league game, opening up an opportunity for Ryan Borucki, a young left-hander who is zooming up the Jays’ depth chart, to get a start against the Red Sox. Borucki didn’t look out of place in his 21/3 innings of work, allowing two hits and two earned runs in a 7-5 loss.