After a prolonged stint in the minors, former Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon made his return to the big leagues on May 21st.

Pitching for the Boston Red Sox in a night game against the Kansas City Royals, Colon fared well in allowing only two runs in five innings of work. He was the pitcher of record as his team notched a 6-3 victory.
While his first opponent was not a strong one, Colon demonstrated that he can still be a viable fantasy option for teams in need of starting pitching.

Last season was a horrendous one for the right-handed starting pitcher who always seems to be battling weight problems. He went 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA, battled an elbow injury, and was on the losing end of his last six decisions. The peak of his career came in 2005 when he went 21-8 and won the American League Cy Young award.

Any fantasy owners contemplating an addition of Colon should be wary of his impact on his team’s ratios. Colon has a career ERA of just over four, and his career WHIP of 1.33 isn’t special. However, pitching at the end of the strong Boston rotation, Colon seems poised to rack up some quality wins and strikeout totals.

The hefty right-hander performed well in the minors and continued his success in his first start, so he is worth an add in most leagues.