For the first time since 2011, Adam Loewen was on a big league diamond Monday night. An even more improbable feat? It was as a pitcher.Loewen, who in Rick Ankiel-like fashion converted from pitcher to outfielder, was back slinging balls on the mound in a major league game for the first time since 2008. He faced three batters and recorded his lone out by way of strikeout in the Phillies' 13–3 loss to the Diamondbacks.Making his first pitching appearance in 2,589 days, Loewen fanned Jake Lamb on a curveball and his fastball reached as high as 92 mph, according to Brooks Baseball. He allowed one hit and two runs before exiting the contest.Loewen, the highest Canadian-born player ever drafted, was taken fourth overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 2002 draft as a pitcher out of British Columbia. The tall 6'6" southpaw showed plenty of promise and had many believing that he was destined to be a mainstay in the Orioles' rotation. Baseball America's Will Lingo had high praise for the left-hander in 2004, saying, "With two plus pitches and the possibility for two more, Loewen has legitimate No. 1 starter potential." Lingo added that "Loewen would have been drafted early as a power-hitting outfielder if he wasn't such a promising pitcher."After a stress fracture derailed his pitching career in 2007, Loewen made seven appearances the next season before converting to the outfield. He signed on with the Toronto Blue Jays and made his way back to the big leagues during the 2011 season after a strong showing with the club's Triple-A affiliate. Loewen received 32 September at-bats, but spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues before eventually signing with the Phillies and attempting another comeback on the mound.It worked out for Loewen, who famously helped Canada upset the United States, 8-6, in the 2006 World Baseball Classic by throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings as the starting pitcher.Loewen worked his way up the Phillies' system the last two years, reaching the Triple-A level this season where the reliever struck out 60 over 46 innings with a 2.15 ERA before once again getting the call to The Show.[MLB]
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