In a year where it seems every day another pitcher goes on the disabled list, Sunday morning is starting off with some good news. The Baltimore Orioles activated Chris Tillman off the disabled list before Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox, it will be Tillman's 2017 debut.
Tillman missed the start of the 2017 season with soreness in his shoulder that also sidelined him for much of spring training. Baltimore took the cautious route with him and slowly worked his way back when the shoulder was cleared and increasing the pitch count up steadily in bullpens, simulated games and them minor league rehab starts.
In four starts in the minor leagues, the 29-year-old encountered some rough outings. Across 16 1/3 innings, Tillman surrendered 20 hits and 13 earned runs. A more alarming issue was his home run problem as he gave up seven home run to minor league hitters, a worrying sign as he returns to one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball and pitches in the A.L. East.
Fantasy owners could stash him for right now, but it's best to not start him for a few weeks. Wait and see how he performs in his outings and if the home run continues to be an issue for him.