LOS ANGELES — Through the dark days, when Brock Stewart was bouncing between organizations desperate for roster security, he embarked on a plan for a better tomorrow.

He searched for an edge at the risk of serious injury, which would create an even further setback.

And then the worst-case scenario happened.

The success rate for Tommy John surgery is high, but for a pitcher without the stability of a dedicated roster spot, the unknown is brutal. Going from the major leagues to the independent leagues to a right-arm sling and back to the big leagues again is risk/reward personified.

After enrolling at the pitching lab Tread Athletics in Charlotte, N.C., in late 2020, Stewart picked up velocity on his fastball almost immediately. The 5-mph increase on his four-seam fastball came in a blur

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