TORONTO - To reach the highest level of professional sports, an athlete has to possess an element of defiance, a zeal for proving people wrong along the way. When Marcus Stroman tore the ACL in his left knee during a routine fielding drill in spring training, he was told by doctors that he required surgery and his season was over.

Enter defiance.

“When they said my season’s done, I knew my season wasn’t done,” Stroman said after throwing about 30 pitches in a bullpen session in Toronto on Friday.

Less than six months ago, it would have been a surprise if Stroman pitched in a big league game in 2015. Now, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t. After working 4.2 innings and striking out seven without allowing a hit in a rehab appearance with the Lansing Lugnuts on Wednesday, Stroman will pitch for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Monday. After that, a return to the Blue Jays could be in the cards.

“Well, we’ve got to see how the game on Monday goes, but if everything goes well and he looks good, he could come and start a game or two for us,” said manager John Gibbons, before preaching patience. “It’s still up in the air; we don’t know what’s going to happen on Monday. Simple reason, he hasn’t thrown much.”

That Stroman has even gotten to this point, though, has caught even his manager off guard.

“I’m very (surprised),” said Gibbons. “I thought it was a year you write off for him, he gets ready and shows up next spring training. But the doctors are all in favour, they’ve signed off on it. It’s pretty impressive. What he’s accomplished to get to this point, you know, miraculous in my mind.”

But don’t count Stroman among those surprised. Since the moment he got the news that surgery would be required, a plan was put in place that he felt, if he could execute it, would get him back this season. While rehabbing his knee at Duke University, Stroman made sure not to forget about his arm. He couldn’t stand, so instead he threw sitting down and continued to work on his grip to make sure his arm did not atrophy. It was never just about rehabbing the knee - it was about coming back to pitch this year.

“I had in the back of my head that I’d be back, so I made sure that my arm would be in shape,” Stroman said.

Part of the process in Stroman’s recovery was getting to a point where he could trust his knee again, where he could pitch without wondering whether his knee would support him when he landed after his delivery.

“When I was at Duke, we set up everything to kind of make sure that I’d be able to handle every single situation in games,” said Stroman. “The last week at Duke was essentially a combine where I did single leg jumps, broad jumps, 50-yard shuttles, like I did everything possible. After I got through that, I was like there’s nothing that I’m going to face in a game that I’m not going to be able to do if I’m able to do all this.”

While he will continue to pitch with a brace on his left knee, it is so far so good through his first rehab start.

“My knee feels great,” he said. “There’s nothing there. If anything, there’s maybe a little soreness after (throwing), but when I’m out there, I don’t feel it at all. I’m in mid-season form, 100 per-cent mid-season, every single pitch is ready. I’m ready, my knee is ready, I’m ready to go.”

With a return to the big leagues likely in the cards, Stroman has indicated he wants to start. Gibbons entertained the possibility, but has not set anything in stone. If work out of the bullpen ends up being the course Stroman takes this season, he’s ready for it.

“I just want to contribute,” the 24 year old pitcher said. “I’m ready to do whatever the team needs me to do. Contribute in whatever capacity they need. I can start, my arm’s ready to go out there and throw 100-plus pitches or if they need me in the 'pen, that’s what they need. I’m ready to start. I’d like to start, but my most important thing is just doing everything in my power to just help this team get to the playoffs.”

The possibility of using a six-man rotation was not shot down by Gibbons, but he acknowledged that are positives and negatives with that approach.

“I mean, we’ve got some older guys, they could use an extra day here or there this time of year,” said the manager. “It’s not ideal, though, because you throw them a little bit out of their schedule.”

One way or another, if Stroman is able to get back, it’s a good problem for the Blue Jays to have. But as he’s proven throughout the process, you probably should not bet against him.

“A lot of people probably doubted me and said I wouldn’t back and that was definitely fuel every single day that I was in the weight room," said Stroman. “I thrive off that. I’m 5’8, so obviously, I’m going to be doubted and this probably doesn’t help, so I’m pretty motivated and I’m more confident now than I’ve ever been before in my life.”