Last season, Duke‘s Marcus Stroman was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. However, by August, he was sitting out with a 50-game suspension due to performance-enhancing drugs.

Duke’s Marcus Stroman via Marc Kirsch

MiLB.com talked to Stroman about his focus this spring (on converting back to being a starter), his new clothing line (HeightDoesn’tMeasureHeart or HDMH), his coming out parties in college (in the Cape Cod League and playing for Team USA), and choosing Duke.

He is expected back on the mound in games sometime in May and will spend time in extended spring training preparing to start while serving the rest of his suspension. Stroman believes he is ready for the big leagues, but with all the additions to the starting staff, he may need to wait a bit.

Click HERE to read the Q & A and see video of Stroman pitching for Team USA.

*Don’t forget! The Duke baseball season begins on Friday with a three-game road trip to ranked Florida.

Duke’s Marcus Stroman via Marc Kirsch

It was announced on Tuesday that former Duke ace Marcus Stroman was suspended 50 games for testing positive for methylhexaneamine (a stimulant). In failing the Minor League Baseball Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Stroman will miss Double-A New Hampshire’s final seven games along with the first 43 of the 2013 season.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for a prospect on the possibly quick rise to the big leagues. Stroman was the 22nd player selected in this past June’s MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He signed for a reported $1.8 million. He began the season with short-season Vancouver, but had been promoted to the Fishercats in the beginning of August. With all of the injuries at the big league level, there was talk that Stroman could earn a September callup.

Now that call will have to wait.

Stroman issued this statement released by the Blue Jays:

“Despite taking precautions to avoid violating the Minor League testing program, I unknowingly ingested a banned stimulant that was in an over-the-counter supplement,” Stroman said. “Nonetheless, I accept full responsibility and I want to apologize to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, my family, my teammates, and the Blue Jays fans everywhere. I look forward to putting this behind me and rejoining my teammates.”

In June, Duke ace Marcus Stroman was drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. On August 3rd, he entered his first Double-A baseball game.

Pitching for the NH Fishercats of the Eastern League, Stroman struck out the first batter he faced (former FSU outfielder Tyler Holt). He then proceeded to induce two straight ground outs to close out his first Double-A appearance. In that outing, he threw 12 pitches, eight for strikes.

His next appearance came on August 7th and he allowed a solo homerun to former GT player Tony Plagman. He also allowed two stolen bases.

Stroman‘s first victory came on August 10th. He only threw 13 of his 27 pitches for strikes (he walked two), but did not allow a hit or run.

His next two outings were of the scoreless variety (on August 14 and 17).

Stroman picked up another victory yesterday (August 20th), despite allowing a run. He walked the first two batters he faced and a wild pitch move the lead runner to third base. A sac fly scored the run, but he escaped further damage. The Fishercats scored a run to take the lead in the very next inning.

Stroman is pitching about every three to four days, as it looks like the Blue Jays are trying to keep him fresh and limit his innings after his huge workload at Duke.

The Fishercats are one game away from being eliminated from the Eastern League postseason, so I’m not sure if the plan is to promote Stroman to the big leagues when rosters expand on September 1st (the Blue Jays have fallen to last place in the American League East).

Duke’s Marcus Stroman via Marc Kirsch

Duke‘s Marcus Stroman began his professional debut back on July 12th for the Vancouver Canadians, the rookie ball team of the Toronto Blue Jays. Since then, he has made seven relief appearances.

It was a struggle to start, as he allowed five runs on five hits and two walks over his first 1.1 innings (two outings). Since then, Stroman has been the dominant pitcher that he showed at Duke and for Team USA.

He has not allowed a run over his last five appearances. He is averaging two innings an outing. Over those last five appearances, he has given up just three hits and a walk while striking out 13.

Stroman pitched two innings last night and struck out three while not allowing a base runner.

He has completely dominated right-handed hitters, who have just five hits and one walk against him over 7.1 innings. He has struck out ten.

With the Blue Jays constantly looking for bullpen help, I’m not sure how much longer Stroman will be pitching in Vancouver.

UPDATE: Stroman was promoted to Double-A New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Toronto Blue Jays fans and Duke fans have been waiting since draft day for today’s news. This was the news I was hoping for today when Marcus Stroman tweeted  last night

All day, I kept checking Twitter, waiting for the news. Then it came

Stroman was the Blue Jays second first round draft pick (number 22) in June’s MLB Draft. It has been reported that he signed for the recommended slot at $1.8 million. Now that he has signed, the Blue Jays have signed all of their picks through the first ten rounds.

Stroman leaves Duke as one of the program’s best pitchers of all-time. This past season, he had a 2.39 ERA with 136 strikeouts in 98 innings.

Let the time clock begin to when we will see Stroman donning a Blue Jays jersey in his big league debut.

Duke's Marcus Stroman via Marc Kirsch

On Wednesday, Duke junior ace Marcus Stroman was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s All-America team, third team to be exact. He becomes just the ninth Blue Devil ever to earn All-America honors and first since 1999 (Vaughn Schill).

It has been a season of awards for Stroman, who was also named a Louisville Slugger All-American (second team). He was an All-ACC first team selection. He led the nation in strikeouts with 136.

The highest honor came on Monday, June 4th during the MLB Draft, when he became the first Blue Devil ever to be drafted in the first round. Stroman was selected 22nd overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. He has said that he will let his advisors take care of the contract negotiations, but he has less than a month to sign. With Duke looking for a new coach, it is very unlikely that Stroman would return for his senior season. I am looking forward to getting the chance to see Stroman pitch either in the minor leagues or in the big leagues with Toronto at some point this season.

Check out a few articles about Stroman relating to the draft and his selection by the Blue Jays:

Blue Jays scouting director says Marcus Stroman is on fast track  Long Island Newsday

Why Marcus Stroman Will Go Down as Best Pick of First Round Bleacher Report

Duke's Marcus Stroman via Marc Kirsch

Duke junior ace Marcus Stroman was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 22nd pick in the MLB Draft. He is the first ever first round pick out of Duke.

Baseball America’s Jim Callis was shocked that Stroman stayed on the board so long. He has two big league pitches (fastball, slider) NOW. If he moves back to the bullpen, Callis believed that Stroman can help a Major League team THIS year (similar to Chicago’s Chris Sale the year he was drafted). This is what the analysts on MLB Network were discussing just seconds before Commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement.

Some scouts believe that Stroman can be to the Blue Jays what Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) was to the Angels in 2002 (only the Blue Jays need to make the playoffs).

I live in the Northeast, so I am hoping that Stroman makes a stop with the New Hampshire Fishercats in his ascent to the big leagues in the near future.

*Fellow ACC player James Ramsey of Florida State was drafted with the next pick by St. Louis. Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer went to the TB Rays with the 25th pick.