Toronto Blue Jays: Yosver Zulueta and his road to a full recovery

After undergoing Tommy John Surgery, Toronto Blue Jays flamethrower Yosver Zulueta is looking to play a big role for the team during the 2020 MLB season.

The first time I saw Toronto Blue Jays flamethrower Yosver Zulueta it was in the 2017 Friendship Series between the United States and Cuba in Cary, North Carolina.

At first sight, I saw a tall frail young man and thought why is the kid so highly thought of?

Zulueta didn’t pitch in that series and my question remained unanswered. It wasn’t until I saw him pitch in the Cuban National Series thought I saw what made him so special.

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At the time of his defection in 2018, Zulueta had an ERA of 1.96 and hitters were hitting a paltry .199 against the righty from Remedios, Cuba.

He has an assortment of pitches and can throw the ball from various angles.

“I lean on my curve plenty, but my changeup is also a great set up pitch for my fastball. I’m going to work on my slider a lot this year so I can throw it more consistently for strikes.”

After a few impressive showcases where his fastball light up the radar gun and topped out at 98 Mph. The young Cuban flamethrower signed for the sum of $1.5M with the Blue Jays.

Before he was able to pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays, the right-hander needed Tommy John surgery.

I spoke to the young hurler about his surgery and asked him how his recovery was going, he replied, “My recovery has gone very well and I haven’t much pain or any setbacks. I was able to extend my arm only a few weeks after my surgery.”

In the current day Zulueta is no longer the frail lanky kid I met in North Carolina, today he stands 6″2 and weighs about 220. He has set a few goals for the season, but the most important one is to stay healthy.

“My main goal is to stay healthy and mature as a player. I want to be the best pitcher I can be and justify my status as a top signee.”

Since he’s coming off a serious arm injury, a pitch count or destination has yet to be determined for the Jays’ farmhand.

“The team has yet to assign me to a farm team and we have not yet set how many innings I will pitch this season. All this will be determined after spring training. “

Although he was a starter in Cuba, his role in big leagues has yet to be determined. But if who Yosver Zulueta admires is any indication of what role he will take up in the big show, he could one day be a top-notch closer.

“I admire (Aroldis) Chapman, but in general I also admire those Cubans who have come before and paved the way for us.”

Like many Cubans who have left the island, he longs for the day he can return to the island and not only pitch for his home crowd but also be a part of the national team.

“I would love to one return Sandino Stadium and also it would be an honor to represent Cuba in international competitions.”