Cody Carroll’s comeback

Reliever Cody Carroll, who was acquired from the New York Yankees as part of the Zack Britton deal in 2018, is hoping to win a place in the bullpen after spending much of the past year recovering from back surgery.

“It feels like it’s been two or three years since I’ve been able to do anything, so it’s been long but it couldn’t come quick enough for me,” he said.

It hasn’t been quite that long. Following microdiscectomy surgery and weeks of rehabilitation after experiencing back problems last season, he got a chance to pitch briefly in both the Gulf Coast League and the Fall League, which helped him build confidence that he would be a full go this spring.

“Just for me, it was good for me to get out there and get a couple innings in. Missing a full season is tough, but getting those 10-12 innings in was very helpful toward the end, showing that I’m healthy and can actually do it.”