Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman (shoulder) will play catch on Thursday

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (shoulder) will play catch on Thursday, according to pitching coach Pete Walker.

What It Means:

Stroman is being eased back into things after the Blue Jays shut him down in late February due to some inflammation in his right shoulder. He's not dealing with any structural damage and doctors are optimistic it won't be a lingering issue, but it's possible the 26-year-old right-hander isn't ready until the second week of the regular season. Stroman spun an impressive 3.09 ERA last year.

numberFire's models project Stroman to record a 3.58 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 21.0 strikeout percentage while going 12-10 across 191 innings this season.