Cleveland Indians spring training 2015 Game 4: Day 17

Indians right-hander Shaun Marcum, who threw two scoreless innings against the Royals on Friday, almost retired last year following a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

(Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are players like Shaun Marcum in every big-league locker room.

They don't play games, they rehab. They stretch, run, lift weights, swim, play catch, take batting practice and get treatment from the training staff. Then they do it all over again one day after another.

The one thing they don't do is play the sport that put them in this position in the first place. That will only happen when the part of their body that is broken is repaired and strengthened to the point where they can give it another try.

Shaun Marcum threw two scoreless innings Friday afternoon in an otherwise forgettable, 11-9, Cactus League Indians loss to the Royals at Goodyear Ballpark. That's two innings more than he threw last spring while recovering from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which numbed his pitching hand and required surgery on his right shoulder.

When the Indians left Goodyear to start the 2014 season, Marcum stayed. He wasn't ready to pitch and whenever he'd get close, soreness or fatigue in the shoulder would stop him.

The TOS was no longer a problem, but Marcum still wasn't pitching. Finally, a stress fracture was discovered in his right shoulder. He was shut down for five to six weeks and went home to Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

Marcum, 33, was tired, frustrated and weary of rehabbing.

"After I had the setback with the stress fracture, I talked to my wife (Stephanie) and told her I was thinking of retiring," said Marcum. "I was tired of rehabbing all the time. It seemed like that's all I've done for the last few years."

During his time at home, Marcum's two sons kept asking him if they were going to get a chance to see him pitch again. Marcum, with eight years worth of big-league pitching behind him, decided the answer was yes.

"The time at home cleared my head," he said.

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Marcum returned to Goodyear, rehabbed some more, and joined Class AAA Columbus on Aug. 7. He pitched out of the bullpen, making one start in the regular season and one more in the postseason.

When the Clippers were knocked out of the International League playoffs, Marcum was disappointed.

"I felt pretty much back to normal after my playoff start in Columbus," he said. "Unfortunately, we ended up losing in the playoffs because I wanted to keep pitching. I had more (to give)."

Marcum not only knew he wanted to keep pitching, but that he could.

When the Indians called Marcum's agent in the off-season with an offer to go to camp on a minor-league deal, Marcum said yes. He knew that the chances of making the rotation or bullpen were slim because he hadn't pitched in the big leagues since 2013.

"I came back because of the coaching staff, the training staff and the group of guys in the clubhouse," said Marcum. "Even if I have to go to Triple-AAA, everything about Columbus is good.

"This is a close-knit group of guys. Everybody pulls for one another. I don't think I'm competing against them, I think I'm competing against myself."

Manager Terry Francona was happy for Marcum following his work on Friday.

"I think he was probably pretty excited," said Francona. "It's been a long haul for him back. He's never been a guy who lights up the radar gun, but I thought he threw some really good change-ups.

"For him to throw those good change-ups, he has to be feeling pretty good about himself. It's hard to get enough arm speed to throw a good change-up if you're not feeling pretty good."

As happy as Francona was for Marcum, he was just as blunt about his chances of making the team.

"To be totally honest, that's a difficult evaluation," he said. "It's spring training and he hasn't pitched for a while. We told him we'll be honest and conscientious because it's not an easy one to do."

Marcum, 58-46 with a 3.88 ERA in the big leagues, understands. He also knows he's put himself in position to do the one thing that pushed him through all those hours of rehab.

"I don't want to end on an injury," said Marcum. "I want to take the uniform off on my own."