Venters returns to bigs after 5-year absence, 2.5 Tommy John surgeries

Here's Jonny.

Nearly five-and-a-half years after his last big-league appearance - 2,028 days, to be exact - and following two-and-a-half Tommy John surgeries, left-hander Jonny Venters is back in the majors, as the resilient 33-year-old had his contract selected by the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

"It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling," he told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "It's been an emotional day."

Venters, a one-time All-Star and former fixture in the Atlanta Braves' bullpen, last pitched in a major-league game on Oct. 3, 2012. The following spring, after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in a Grapefruit League game, he underwent his second career Tommy John surgery (he had his first UCL reconstruction in 2005) and was sidelined for the entire 2013 campaign.

Throughout his recovery, Venters suffered numerous setbacks, and he eventually learned in August of 2014 that he had re-torn his UCL, necessitating another Tommy John surgery.

Then, in July of 2016, while rehabbing his way back from his third UCL reconstruction, Venters - now in the Rays' employ - tore the ligament once again. This time, however, he elected for a reinforcement procedure rather than a full reconstruction of the UCL - a decision that has clearly paid off.

Venters, who landed a minor-league deal with the Rays in December, dazzled in spring training, allowing just two hits and no earned runs over seven innings, and continued to dominate with Triple-A Durham, crafting a 1.59 ERA across five appearances.

"I'm excited to be here," Venters said. "Grateful for the opportunity. And hopefully (I can) go out and get some people out today."