Jun 29, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Athletics at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Marcus Stroman Stuns in Yankees Return

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 7:00 AM ET

In a game otherwise defined by the New York Yankees offense, pitcher Marcus Stroman made an impressive first start back after a long injury in the team's final game in a series with the Oakland Athletics.

Stroman pitched five innings, allowing just three hits, one earned run, two walks, and striking out one before being pulled and replaced with JT Brubaker.

Good stuff from Stroman today pic.twitter.com/FXEKWETZPg
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2025

Given his recent performance at a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset, Yankee fans were pessimistic about Stroman heading into Sunday's game. The Bombers have been on a bad run of late, with 10 losses in their last 16 games and five shutout losses in June alone. In Stroman's three rehab appearances since June 11, the righty went 1-0 with a 6.97 ERA, but he didn't seem to have any doubt about his ability to take care of business with the pressure on.

"I'm someone who definitely needs kind of the intensity to turn it on, so looking forward to getting back out there," Stroman said.

Stroman had been out on the injured list since April 11, when he started against the San Francisco Giants and reported that his left knee was bothering him after giving up five runs. Incidentally, Ryan Yarbrough stepped up for him in that game, and Stroman has now returned to make up for Yarbrough's absence following a recent oblique injury.

He shared that the pain is residual, from an ACL tear he suffered back in 2015.

"It's my ACL knee that I tore 10 years ago, so just figuring out how to deal with the soreness, the aching and then mechanically figuring out how to get away from kind of overdoing it into my knee." Stroman said. "When I'm more efficient mechanically, my knee's taking less stress."

He had started just three games before his injury 2 1/2 months ago, culminating in an 11.57 ERA, which contributed to the pessimism before this A's game. Now, apparently back in good form, he will bolster an already strong pitching lineup that has lost Gerritt Cole, Luis Gil and most recently Yarbrough so far this season.

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