Marcus Stroman might be sitting on the bench right now. But on his birthday, he wasn’t sulking in the shadows—he was speaking from his heart, and his words touched the heart of all the New York Yankee fans.

The Yankees right-hander turned 34 years old at midnight on May 1. And while his knee pain is still ongoing, he took to Instagram to just show his fans that he is doing fine.

“Grateful and thankful for all of this. All of it. Praise to the most high,” Stroman wrote. “The future and journey excite me. The highs and lows… No evil against me shall prosper, and the universe sees all.” And then he wrapped the message with a reminder, which simply shows where his head is at.

“Cheers to being present and grateful, never greedy. Truly thankful for life each and every day!” said Stroman in his Instagram stories. He even shared photos of himself with his son, just happy to be a year older. Well, as for the message, it is the kind that stops one from doom-scrolling and reading. But as powerful as the message was, there was, of course, an underlying struggle, because Stroman has had anything but a steady season.

Stroman has been dealing with left knee inflammation that has kept him on a 15-day injured list for over two weeks. It was supposed to be a quick pit stop, but now it has turned into a blown-over layover. For someone with a competitive spirit like him, it might feel like he is sitting still when the storm is brewing. His early-season numbers highlight a struggle of sorts.

In over nine innings, Marcus Stroman posted an 11.57 ERA and 2.04 WHIP. He walked seven, struck out seven, and hasn’t looked like the ace that the New York Yankees can rely on. And last year, too, the story was no different. He finished with a 4.31 ERA. Plus, he didn’t even pitch in the postseason. This season, Stroman was supposed to change the narrative, but his body had other plans. But while he is working through the pain, Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco are holding the tower.

The New York Yankees are hoping for a veteran comeback

While Stroman is working his way back, DJ LeMahieu is quietly trying to write his own comeback story. There is a fresh new update for the 36-year-old, who still hasn’t played a single regular-season game this season. Back in early March, he tried to get going in the Grapefruit League and strained his right calf, and since then, it’s been nothing but trouble. Because what was seemingly a minor hiccup turned into an injury that refused to budge.

The New York Yankees had penciled him as their everyday third baseman. But the month came, and it even went, and he was still not back. He did start rehab a while ago, but that had to be paused when he started having an issue with his hip. The team has given him a cortisone, and now they are back to testing the water. Now, Boone didn’t give a tentative date for return, but DJ Mahieu is set to play with Double-A Somerset on Friday.

In the meantime, there is a bit of juggling at third base. Oswaldo Cabrera has the lead, and Oswald Pereza and Pablo Reyes have filled in where possible. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also missing, and his return is not imminent either. Right now, the Yankees’ depth is getting thin.

So getting LeMahieu back would be of great help at this moment. If Friday goes well, then maybe, just maybe, the team can put a plan for his comeback. Do you think he can make a comeback soon? Let us know in the comments.