ARLINGTON, Texas -- Closer B.J. Ryan was activated by the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, barely 11 months after undergoing elbow ligament replacement surgery.
Manager John Gibbons said the left-hander will immediately regain his closer's role, but he won't pitch on consecutive days.
Right-hander Jeremy Accardo has been the Jays' primary closer since Ryan last pitched in the majors last April.
Gibbons said he wasn't surprised that Ryan, who had been on an injury-rehab assignment at Class A Dunedin, was able to return so quickly. Most pitchers require a year or more to recover from Tommy John surgery and pitch again at the major league level. Ryan's operation was May 10.
Ryan appeared in five games for Toronto last season after earning 38 saves in 65 games for the Blue Jays in 2006.
"I was a little surprised he was ready for spring training," Gibbons said. "He had some arm tenderness there, but that had nothing to do with his elbow. That kept him from breaking camp with the team."
Ryan had made four appearances for Dunedin with a day off between each one, last pitching Friday night. In four innings, Ryan had an 0-1 record with a 2.25 ERA and five strikeouts.
To open a roster spot for Ryan, Toronto optioned right-hander Brandon League to Triple-A Syracuse. League appeared in two games for Toronto with no record, allowing two runs in 2 2-3 innings.