New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman made his return to the mound on June 29th after being placed on the 15-day injured list back in April, due to left knee inflammation.

Stroman picked up his first win of the season in his return after putting together an impressive outing against the Athletics.

He went five innings, allowing one run on three hits. The lone run came on a solo shot from Willie Maciver.

Stroman was ready for his return after missing over two months.

“I feel great,” Stroman said in an mlb.com article before his start. “Excited to get back out there. It’s been a process.”

Before making the start against Oakland, Stroman made three rehab starts with the Somerset Patriots, giving up a total of eight runs and striking out nine batters.

As he is easing his way back from injury, the main focus is making sure he’s taking it easy on that knee. The left knee is a part of that plant leg for Stroman and going forward, he and the Yankees want to make sure that there’s not too much stress put on that knee.

We all know how much of a competitor Stroman is and he is a player who leaves it all out on the field.

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“I’m just making sure the knee’s moving well, body’s feeling good, arm’s feeling good,” he said. “I’m someone who definitely needs the intensity to turn it back up, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

Now that Stroman is back from his injury, the question is, can he become a consistent and effective pitcher in the Yankees’ starting rotation?

Before he landed on the injured list, Stroman made three starts, going 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA. The two-time All-Star struggled to start the season, but now he has a chance to turn things around and contribute to a team that is looking to make another trip back to the World Series.

New York’s starting rotation has been impressive this season. Three of their starters have five or more wins on the season, and none of the starters have an ERA above 4.40. A big reason why New York is one of the top teams in the American League is because of their pitching and their starting rotation has proved that they are a force to be reckoned with.

“Our rotation is incredible,” Stroman said. “Everyone’s kind of going out there, passing the baton to one another.”

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Last season, in his first year with the Yankees, Stroman reached 10 wins, marking the sixth time in his career when he has won 10 or more games. Stroman will most likely make another or two before the All-Star break and he will look to add to the success of the team’s starting rotation.