We are just 17 days out from Opening Day and six days out from the 2023 RDBL Keeper Deadline which has teams in final preparation mode for Draft Day. With many big leaguers away at the World Baseball Classic, some of the top prospects and young players in the RDBL are getting more time to shine in Spring Training on their respective clubs while others are making the most out of their opportunities in the WBC.
On the flip side, injuries across baseball are starting to pile up which has some RDBL teams scrambling for a plan to round out their 2023 Keeper Roster.
Here's a look at the latest 3 Up, 3 Down:
OF Jarred Kelenic (2R/$3), Clovers
With two more hits today and a steal, Kelenic is now hitting .480 with a ridiculous 1.599 OPS as a re-tooled approach and swing have the former top prospect clearly solidifying his spot as a Keeper for the Cloverdale Clovers. Kelenic, acquired along with Andrew Painter and Dustin May from the Alamo Short Stacks last season, projects to be the primary starter against left-handers but will see some playing time eaten up against left-handers by AJ Pollack.
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Monday, “Jarred is in a great place. There’s a different kind of confidence, an air about him, that’s been fun to see. In the box, he made a few adjustments to his swing over the offseason, and he’s been locked in since day one (of spring training). The combination of contact quality to all fields, pitch selection and overall consistency from at bat to at bat has been excellent. We are currently seeing a young, five-tool player who is evolving as a person, taking the lessons he’s learned and making the necessary adjustments.”
OF Jasson Dominguez (Minors), Maulers
After an excellent season in 2022, Dominguez has delighted Yankees fans all spring and as the Maulers excited about what's to come. The 20-year-old outfielder socked his fourth home run of the spring over the weekend and is now tied with nine other players atop the spring leaderboard. The longball was one of two hits Dominguez collected in two games.
“He continues to just show why we invested so heavily in him, which is great. He’s an exciting talent. And he’s determined and he’s hungry. So he’s got all the attributes you need,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “He’s got the physical ability matching the competitive fire and the will to succeed. The sky’s the limit.”
C Harry Ford (Minors), Fringe
For the second time in as many days Monday, top Fringe prospect Harry Ford was “knighted” at Chase Field after homering for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. This second home run was a pretty big one. With the Brits in desperate need of a win to keep their hopes of advancing out of pool play alive, Ford hammered a solo shot way out to left field that pushed his team’s surprising lead over Colombia to 7-3. At just 20 years old, Ford is the first player in the history of the World Baseball Classic to hit two home runs prior to their 21st birthday, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.
Ford spent last season with the Modesto Nuts, a Single-A affiliate of the Mariners. In 104 games, he slashed .274/.425/.439 for an .863 OPS with 11 homers, 23 stolen bases, 88 walks, 65 RBIs and 89 runs scored, splitting time between catcher and designated hitter and continues to rise as one of the top backstop prospects in baseball.
Grape Injuries
The Mets are planning to shut down starter José Quintana (2FA/$5) for the next three months, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post. The left-hander had recently been diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his ribs and was sent for more imaging. It seems the injury is significant enough that he will miss roughly the first half of the season which will result in the left-hander being released by the Grapes according to sources.
The Grapes are also expected to start 2023 without off-season addition Mitch Haniger (3/$11) who is dealing with a Grade 1 oblique strain. His absence isn't expected to be lengthy, but obliques are incredibly tricky to predict.
LHP Carlos Rodon (Free Agent)
On Thursday, general manager Brian Cashman revealed that Carlos Rodón, one of the top available starters in the RDBL Free Agent Class, will begin the season on the IL due to a forearm strain. The 30-year-old Rodón, whom the Yankees signed to a six-year, $162 million deal in mid-December, was roughed up by the Atlanta Braves in his spring debut last Sunday. As he conceded his arm felt “a little cranky” going into the start and had trouble recovering afterwards, the Yankees sent him for an MRI that revealed he’d suffered a mild strain of his brachioradialis, the most superficial muscle of the forearm.
Rodón told reporters he suffered the same injury last May while with the Giants, and pitched through it without missing a start — that in a season where he set career highs with 31 starts, 178 innings, and 6.2 WAR while posting a 2.84 ERA and 2.25 FIP. “I can go out there and perform, but am I performing at my best and how long am I going to last throughout the season if I continue down this road?” Rodón told reporters on Thursday. “I’m not here to pitch until the All-Star break. I’m here to pitch well into October and whenever this team needs me. If it’s Oct. 5th or it’s the ALDS, I’m taking the ball. I want to pitch.”
Cashman said that Rodon’s UCL, which was repaired via Tommy John surgery in 2019, is intact and that the pitcher will be shut down from throwing for seven to 10 days. Barring further setbacks, that would put him on track for a return in mid-to-late April. Concerns over his health are certain to hurt his market, though a $30+ contract is still likely.
RHP Tony Gonsolin (2D/$5), Ducks
Moving from the Grapefruit League to the Cactus League, the Dodgers reported on Wednesday that Tony Gonsolin had sprained his left ankle during pitcher fielding practice on Monday, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy. The 28-year-old righty is coming off a breakout season founded on an improved split-finger fastball and an ability to handle a larger workload. He set career bests with 130.1 innings and a 2.14 ERA, and made the NL All-Star team, though his season ended on a sour note; he suffered a forearm strain in late August and made just one two-inning regular season appearance after that, nearly six weeks later, then couldn’t get out of the second inning in his Division Series Game start against the Padres.
According to manager Dave Roberts, x-rays have ruled out a fracture, but Gonolin isn’t expected to throw for several days, and could eventually need an MRI depending upon how quickly his ankle progresses. “It’s not something we feel really good about right now,” said the skipper regarding the pitcher’s availability to start the season.
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