Via Tyler Kepner -

The Southern California Trojans came to town Saturday, but that had been scheduled long in advance. The appearance of another U.S.C. man, Ian Kennedy, was far less certain. But there he was in the Yankees’ clubhouse, with a No. 38 jersey, back in the major leagues.

“It’s been a blessing just to be here,” said Kennedy, a former first-round pick who pitched well down the stretch in 2007. “To line something like this up, only God can do.”

Kennedy has reason to frame his ordeal in spiritual terms. While pitching for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in April, he was diagnosed with a vasospasm in his right middle ringer. A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging test showed an aneurysm near his right shoulder, which was surgically removed May 12.

“When it happened, they assured me it was not career threatening,” Kennedy said. “I’d rather have this than have a shoulder problem or Tommy John surgery. But when I first heard ‘aneurysm,’ I was kind of scared.”

Kennedy said his doctor told him not to worry about a recurrence. The operation – “he sewed my vein into my artery,” Kennedy said – had been a success. David Cone, who had aneurysm surgery in 1996 and returned to the Yankees late that season, assured Kennedy he could feel normal again on the mound.

When he started throwing, though, Kennedy said he “didn’t have any feel at all” for pitching. But it came back after a week, just as Cone had promised, and on Sept. 12 he started for Class A Tampa in the Florida State League playoffs, tossing two scoreless innings. Four days later, he threw three perfect innings for Scranton, with nine strikeouts.

Hey, at his worst, Alfred E. Kennedy was just as “good” as Sergio Mitre…so, why not use him over the final few weeks…if there’s a chance to do it?