Stroman lights up the Yankees' clubhouse and then the Athletics in return

Marcus Stroman fired up the Yankees, in the clubhouse and on the mound.

Returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for 2 1/2 months, the 34-year-old right-hander resumed his pregame routine of lighting a scented candle in his stall Sunday morning to set the mood.

He then allowed one run and three hits over five innings in a 12-5 win over the Athletics.

“It’s not the same being on the side. You feel like you’re left out,” he said. “So definitely good to be back with the boys.”

Among the shortest major league pitchers at 5-foot-7, Stroman is distinctive. Sunday's candle was Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender). Next to it was a stack of books: Osho’s “The Great Challenge,” Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” and Don Miguel Ruiz’s “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.”

He had not pitched for the Yankees since April 11, when he was chased in a five-run first inning during a 9-1 loss to San Francisco. He got a cortisone shot and slowly worked his way back from left knee inflammation, an injury stemming from a torn ACL in 2015.

Stroman takes pride in his grit. He tore his ACL during a spring training fielding drill with Toronto that March 10, started minor league rehab outings on Sept. 2 and returned to a big league mound that Sept. 19.

Stroman started the season 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in three starts. After the injury layoff, he was 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in three rehab appearances with Double-A Somerset.

“I tore my ACL, made it back in five months, so I don’t do doubt,” he said. “Knew I’d be back at some point. It was just a matter of when.”

Not a hard thrower these days, Stroman averaged 89.8 mph with his four-seam fastball. New York needed him for a rotation missing ace Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil (strained right lat) and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (strained right oblique).

“I thought he had a presence on both sides of the plate,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Was a little unpredictable. Used his sinker, used his cutter and then the different kind of breaking balls. But he got after it in the zone when he needed to.”

Stroman had a scare in the second inning, when Max Muncy hit a 97.2 mph liner off his right hamstring.

“It crushed me. Pretty firm. ... It hurt a lot," he said.

Stroman didn't think he'd have to come out.

“Adrenaline is a great drug,” he said, “so I won't feel it until tomorrow.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb