Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan was activated off the 60-day disabled list. He was only on that list because MLB doesn’t have a 1,000-day DL. McGowan has been out of the majors for more than three years. During that time, he’s had three surgeries; two on the rotator cuff in his throwing arm and another for a knee injury. Combined with several other setbacks, many thought his short major league career was prematurely finished.

The last time McGowan pitched in the major leagues was July 8, 2008. Part of his recovery plan took him as high as Double-A New Hampshire. Being activated felt like being called up for the first time again for him. After such a long rehab and recovery period, McGowan now has a chance to get back to basics. Before he went down, many thought he had the kind of top-of-the-rotation stuff that would make GMs drool and opposing hitters cry.

The Blue Jays are all-but-eliminated from the AL East and wild card races, so the rest of this season is about personal accomplishments and a glimpse of the future. And while McGowan was a part of the past, he is certainly looking for personal accomplishments and may well be a part of Toronto’s future, as are pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Beck, Daniel Farquhar and Brad Mills, first baseman David Cooper and outfielder Adam Loewen, all of whom were called up by the Jays.

Loewen is completing an improbable comeback story of his own. He is formerly a pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles from 2006-08, but repeated arm injuries forced him to re-think his career. He was released, made the decision to become a position player, and signed with the Blue Jays and for the last few years has been repeating the minor league circuit. He and McGowan are two of the best feel-good stories in baseball right now. They are proof that miracles indeed, do happen.