It's become an accepted fact that it takes one year of rehab before a pitcher can even start entertaining thoughts of returning to the mound after Tommy John Surgery. Based on that, we shouldn't have expected to hear anything about B.J. Ryan until a month or so into the season, with his actual return to the big leagues sometime around the All-Star break. There are exceptions to every rule, though, and Ryan might be the exception to this one. He's already had two bullpen sessions and will throw off a mound on Saturday, Toronto's official first day for pitchers and catchers. He's had no physical setbacks and, if all goes well, could be ready to contribute on Opening Day. That would be astounding and, probably, a little bit unwise. If Ryan is looking strong when camp breaks, it would probably behoove the team to send him to extended spring training for the first month. Better to be sure of his health when he steps back into the closer's role.
The Jays got decent work out of Jeremy Accardo when Ryan went down last season so they wouldn't lose much by waiting. A healthy Ryan would have a beneficial domino effect on the Jays staff. Accardo would move into a setup role, joining Scott Downs and Casey Janssen in what should be an excellent bullpen.
