Last August, Rockies starter Juan Nicasio got the business end of a line-drive comebacker and sustained a fractured neck. Comebackers are just about always the scariest incidents in baseball, and beyond being potentially season-ending, they're potentially life-changing, and even potentially life-ending. Nicasio got it bad. His future - as a player, and as a person - was up in the air.

Something something Friday is March 9, and here is a picture:

That's Juan Nicasio, pitching for the Rockies in a Cactus League game. Friday, Nicasio made his 2012 Cactus League debut, allowing an unearned run in three innings of work. His fastball reportedly got up to 95.

So if you've been following the story, this is no great shock. We knew that Nicasio had made an incredible recovery, and several days ago he pitched for the Rockies in a "B game". Still, Friday was another step, and at this point Nicasio's just another guy vying for a starting job with Colorado, albeit the guy with the best story. Unless you think more of Jamie Moyer's story. Some good stories over there.

At one point on Friday, a line drive buzzed by Nicasio on the mound. He survived, and he continued to pitch. The memories will never go away, but Nicasio's evidently got his fearlessness back.