It has been a long few years for former Baltimore Orioles All Star Chris Tillman.
He had been one of the Orioles’ better arms, someone who appeared on the cusp of a solid major league career. However, shoulder injuries ruined his 2017 campaign and he was never able to recover, undergoing the knife in 2019. Tillman has been out of baseball since a disastrous four game stint in Triple-A as part of the Rangers organization in 2018.
Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman not giving up just yet
But Tillman is refusing to give up. He had made comeback attempts in 2020 and 2021 without generating interest, but maybe the third time will be the charm. According to Britt Ghiroli from The Athletic, Tillman is again on the comeback trail after recovering from shoulder surgery.
Tillman’s glory days are long in the past. He will be 35 years old early in the 2023 season and will be seven years removed since his last productive major league season. Ghiroli also noted that Tillman has been clocked at 88 to 90 MPH with his fastball, a bit of a dropoff from his prime when the heater sat in the mid 90s.
There was a time when he was a solid major league option. He had posted a 3.81 ERA and a 1.253 WHiP in his 844.2 innings between 2012 and 2016, striking out 655 batters with 288 walks. While he may not have been a top of the rotation arm, but he was a solid piece for the Orioles as they contended for the postseason.
If Tillman can prove to be healthy, and show that his pitches still have life and movement, it is possible another team will give him a chance. It may be a longshot, but at this point, that is all Tillman can ask for.
Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman is still trying to make a comeback. Maybe the third time will prove to be the charm.