Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman, who has been slowed this spring by a shoulder injury, said Saturday he expects to make his regular-season debut in Toronto's fourth game of the season on April 1.
The Blue Jays announced Monday that Stroman, who has been dealing with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, would not be ready for Opening Day on March 29 against the New York Yankees.
But after making his spring debut Saturday against the Canadian National Junior Team, Stroman told reporters that he felt ready to pitch April 1 against the Yankees.
"I thought [Saturday's game] went really well," said Stroman, who tossed two scoreless innings in the exhibition contest. "I'm ready to rock -- just progress over the next two starts and looking forward to pitching against the Yankees on [April 1]."
Stroman, 26, underwent an MRI last month and said the test showed his shoulder was structurally fine. The right-hander went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA last season for the Blue Jays.