Bounceback years on deck
Players returning from injury, illness aim for big seasons
Trey Mancini had surgery for colon cancer last year on the same day Major League Baseball shut down spring training due to COVID-19.
Baseball returned later in 2020, and Mancini is back now, healthy and ready to go.
His comeback story has been a highlight of spring training. Mancini is not only the best player on the Orioles, he’s the most popular.
“There were times, especially when I was diagnosed early on where I wasn’t totally sure if I was ever going to play baseball again,” Mancini recalled upon his return. “Just being able to feel like myself, feel great and participate in everything fully is something I’m very appreciate of and I don’t take for granted at all.”
Mancini, who turns 29 next week, had a breakout season in 2019, batting .291 with 35 homers and 97 RBIs. He singled in his first at-bat in nearly a year and got a standing ovation from a socially distanced crowd at the ballpark.
“I can’t remember a bigger hug that I gave anybody than seeing him for the first time,” Orioles infielder Rio Ruiz said.
Many players are returning from injuries that forced them to miss last season or cut their season short. Nearly 20 guys are back after opting not to play because of coronavirus concerns, including former All-Stars David Price, Buster Posey, Lorenzo Cain, Marcus Stroman and Ryan Zimmerman.
Here are five more players looking to rebound in 2021:
RHP Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: The 2019 World Series MVP pitched five innings last season before carpal tunnel surgery. He struck out four of the six batters he faced in his spring training debut this week, and the 32-year-old righty is expected to make four more appearances for the Nationals before the season.
Strasburg has made than 10 trips to the injured lists throughout his career.
“This isn’t my first rodeo when it comes to injuries and stuff,” Strasburg said after his outing. “So I’m kind of at a point where I’m going to go out there and give it everything I have and roll with the punches.”
RHP Corey Kluber, Yankees: The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner has thrown only 36 ⅔ innings over the last two seasons, one since May 2019 when he was hit on the right forearm by a comebacker. Kluber tore a muscle in his right shoulder in his Rangers debut July 26, 2020, and agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the Yankees in January.
The Yankees are hoping the 34-year-old righty can regain the form that made him one of baseball’s best pitchers with the Indians from 2013-18.
“Physically, I feel like I’m in a good spot,” Kluber said after his first spring training start. “I’m just trying to prepare for the season the best I can.”
DH/OF Yordan Alvarez, Astros: The 2019 AL rookie of the year played just two games for the Astros last season before having surgery on both knees. The Astros are easing Alvarez back this spring training, and he hasn’t appeared in a game yet.
He hit .313 with 27 HRs and 78 RBIs in only
313 at-bats in 2019, helping the Astros win the AL pennant. The Astros reached Game 7 of the ALCS without him last year and getting Alvarez’s bat back at DH should help make up for the departure of George Springer in free agency.
OF Mitch Haniger, Mariners: A 2018 All-Star outfielder with the Mariners, Haniger hasn’t played since June 2019 due to multiple injuries and surgeries. He’s swinging the bat well this spring and is a welcome addition to the Mariners lineup.
Haniger hit .285 with 26 HRs and 93 RBIs in 2018. He slumped to .220 with 15 HRs and 32 RBIs in 63 games in 2019 before injuries derailed him.
RHP Chris Archer, Rays: A two-time All-Star with the Rays, Archer is back with the club after 2 disappointing seasons with the Pirates. The righty missed last season due to surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and was 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts with the Pirates.