Braydon Fisher is back with the Toronto Blue Jays, reinstated from the bereavement list and active for tonight's game against the San Diego Padres.
Fisher stepped away last week after his father, Norm, passed away following a stroke while the family was traveling to watch Toronto's series.
That kind of absence puts everything else in perspective, and the Blue Jays clubhouse has stood behind Fisher throughout it.
Now he's back in uniform, and John Schneider has another established arm available out of the bullpen for tonight's game.
Fisher carries a 3.33 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 43 appearances this season, solid middle relief numbers for a Toronto pitching staff that's needed all the stability it can get.
He's struck out 46 batters over 46 innings, a strikeout rate that makes him a real weapon in the middle innings when Schneider needs a bridge to the later relievers.
Getting him back matters beyond the numbers too. A bullpen that's dealt with plenty of shaky outings this season gets a reliable arm back at a good moment.
Why his return lines up with Toronto's recent surge
Toronto enters tonight at 44-49, riding a two game winning streak and a 5-5 mark over its last 10 games heading into San Diego.
Adding Fisher back doesn't fix everything wrong with this pitching staff, but it does give Schneider one more trustworthy option as the deadline approaches.
It's a bit like getting a dependable teammate back to work after time off. The role doesn't change, but the peace of mind does.
Does Fisher's return end up mattering in the standings, or is this simply about a player getting back to the game after something far bigger than baseball?
Either way, the Blue Jays clubhouse welcomes him back tonight, and the thoughts around that room clearly extend well beyond tonight's box score.
Toronto will lean on him again in relief, and how he looks in his first outing back will be worth watching against a Padres lineup hungry to snap its own skid.
Are you glad to see Braydon Fisher back with the Blue Jays tonight?
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