teammate and pitcher Mike Marshall, who had a Master's degree in kinesiology and who was said to know how to help pitchers recover from injuries, on learning a different grip to use while pitching. In the midst of doubts about his ability to come back, John kept repeating Luke 1:37 to himself: "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." Finally, in June, feeling came back to John's injured fingers. His velocity started to improve in July, and by September, he was healthy enough to pitch in an off-season instructional league in Arizona. Beginning September 29, John made five appearances with the team, throwing as many as seven innings by his final one. 1976–1978: The comeback John returned to the Dodgers in 1976, the fourth starter in their rotation after spending all of the previous year on the disabled list. On April 16, he made his comeback, against the Braves at Fulton County Stadium. "I was back in my office," John later described the day. "I took a year-and-a-half hiatus to, you know, go abroad and study and learn the dynamics of nuclear fission, or something like that. I did all that, and now I was back at work." Though he allowed three runs in five innings and took the loss, it was the first time any pitcher had started a game following UCL reconstruction surgery. Darrell Evans of the Braves called the return a "miracle." Soon, players and writers were referring to John as "The Bionic Man." Five days after the Atlanta game, in a 1–0 loss to the Houston Astros, John threw seven scoreless innings. On June 13, he threw his first complete game since the injury, also against the Expos, whom he held to three runs in a 6–3 victory. He threw a four-hit shutout against the Padres on July 23 and a 10-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds on September 14. John would make 31 starts for the Dodgers in 1976, posting a 10–10 record, a 3.09 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 61 walks, and 207 hits allowed in 207 innings pitched. In recognition of John's accomplishments, the Sporting News awarded him its NL Comeback Player of the Year Award, and John also won the Fred Hutchinson Award, presented annually to a player who shows outstanding character and courage. "I thank God every day for being able to pitch," John told The New York Times after his comeback. "If