Long journey to Majors well worth it for Bleier

TORONTO — After nine seasons riding buses through various Minor League outposts, including three-plus years when it seemed his career had stalled in the Texas League, a set of big league bullpen doors finally swung open for Richard Bleier on Monday evening.

Though the 29-year-old’s Major League debut went by in a flash, with the left-hander turning three pitches into two outs during the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, he said it was absolutely worth the wait.

“I was definitely excited and pretty pumped up,” Bleier said. “I think what helped me the most was going to big league camp and knowing everyone. I feel like if I didn’t know anyone when I first came up, I would have been a lot more nervous.

“There’s no preparing for something like that, even with almost a thousand innings in the Minor Leagues. It’s just something you’ve got to go out there and get through the first one, really.”

A sixth-round pick of the Rangers in the 2008 Draft, Bleier began his pro career as a starter and saw success when he moved to the bullpen in 2012. He then spent time in the Blue Jays’ and Nationals’ systems, returning to starting before …

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