Few athlete paths have been more winding than Mark Appel's.
After nine years of grinding in the minor leagues, battling shoulder injuries and even leaving the game, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft made his MLB debut on Wednesday at 30 years old.
The Philadelphia Phillies called on Appel out of the bullpen for the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves, trailing 4-1. It wasn't a high-leverage situation, but Appel looked just fine on an MLB mound while allowing a single baserunner and keeping the Braves off the scoreboard. He recorded his first MLB strikeout in the process.