It's not only the major league all-stars on display this week, the Stars of Triple-A battle in Louisville Wednesday night.
Syracuse Chiefs' David Purcey getting the start for the International League. An amazing comeback story for Purcey, who missed more than half of last season due to injury.
With his dominating performance on opening day, David Purcey was back. Nearly a year after a stress fracture in his left arm forced him to miss three months of action. Purcey dominated Louisville over six shutout innings. The lefty hasn't let up since.
"I'm feeling pretty good on the mound. I'm finally starting to realize that I don't have to overthrow every pitch, and that I can stay in a certain range," Purcey said.
Whatever that range is it's working. In 18 starts this season for Syracuse, Purcey's ERA is under three, his strikeout to walk ratio better than three to one. Those numbers helped earn him a couple spot starts in Toronto and perhaps more importantly, the confidence of the Blue Jays brass.
It's not only the major league all-stars on display this week, the Stars of Triple-A battle in Louisville Wednesday night.
Syracuse Chiefs' David Purcey getting the start for the International League. An amazing comeback story for Purcey, who missed more than half of last season due to injury.
"It number one tells you the organization believes that you can pitch there, and that you're one of the guys on the radar from the standpoint of being a starting pitcher at that level," said Chiefs’ Manager Doug Davis.
"It's allowed me to get a little bit more prepared for maybe the next time it happens, or if it does happen. Just to go and to fit into it a little easier, just knowing what's happening," Purcey said.
Purcey's spot starts in Toronto have given him a taste of what the big leagues are like, but both he and his skipper know there is work to be done before he leaves the minor league dugout and replaces it with a major league one full time.
"His biggest thing is he's still young and he still needs to work on his command. A lot of it is feel. Being able to place the ball where you want to throw it,” said Davis.
And Purcey knows the more he does that, the quicker he'll get back to the bigs. But he's content knowing it's not his decision to make.
"I don't talk to the front office about anything like that. I figure my job is to go out there and make quality pitches and just pitch. As long as I do that, they have people watching us," said Purcey.
And on Wednesday, you can bet they'll be watching Purcey pitch in Louisville among the best in Triple A.