Only seven days remain until Roger Dorn Baseball League Front Offices need to be trimmed down on a date clubs have now been waiting over a year for. We have reached the point already in Spring Training where a homer here, or a scoreless outing there is changing the minds of General Managers across the league.
Here is the latest 3 Up, 3 Down as Draft Day looms.
RHP Jake Odorizzi (2FA/$5), Ducks
Blister problems, a ribcage strain, and being struck in the chest by a line drive resulted in three separate injured list stints for Odorizzi in 2020, bringing a sour end to what had been a pretty successful tenure in Minnesota. Odorizzi posted a 4.01 ERA and an above-average 24.83K% over 323 1/3 innings in 2018-19, and chose to return to the Twin Cities in 2020 after accepting the team’s $17.8MM qualifying offer. The right-hander remainder a Free Agent as Spring Training opened but injuries to the Astros starting rotation led to Odorizzi inking a 2-year deal in Houston. That was welcome news for Ducks GM Ryan Walsh who is now expected to retain Odorizzi for 2021.
RHP Mike Soroka (2R/$3), Clovers
Soroka had been taking part in fielding drills to begin spring training while working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, but he progressed in his recovery Sunday. An official said that the right-hander looked "very good" during his outing, especially for a pitcher who hasn't appeared in a game in seven months. His velocity was slightly below his average speed, but the official said that the below-average velocity was to be expected at this point in his recovery. Soroka still doesn't have a timetable to return to the starting rotation, but he's made good progress in his recovery so far with the Clovers hoping he can be back on the big league mound by late April.
OF Austin Meadows (2R/$3), Taters
Meadows blasted his third home run Sunday and is 4-for-8 to start Spring Training as he looks to put a rough 2020 season behind him. Meadows was placed on the injured list July 16 following a positive COVID test and did not debut until Aug. 4. In 36 games before his regular season was cut short by a left oblique strain, Meadows had a 32.9 K% and the quality connections were few and far between (7.1 Barrel%). His postseason was even worse; add the numbers together and you're left with a .185 BA and six homers over 183 total at-bats. He looks ready to return to the breakout player we saw in 2019.
RHP Forrest Whitley (Minors), Hops
Astros pitching prospect Forrest Whitley has been advised to undergo Tommy John surgery which could delay a potential activation until 2023 for the Hops. Whitley has been battling arm soreness that has now been diagnosed as a right UCL sprain, the team told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters. No decision has yet been made about Whitley’s next step, as the right-hander is seeking a second opinion.
A 14-15 month layoff for TJ rehab would be the biggest setback yet in a career that has been hampered by injuries. Whitley also had an forearm problem last season that led to an early shutdown at the Astros’ alternate training site, and he has been sidelined with shoulder and oblique injuries in past years. Beyond just health woes, Whitley was also issued a 50-game drug suspension in 2018.
OF Jarred Kelenic (Minors), Stacks
Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic will be out of action after an MRI revealed a strain in his left adductor muscle, the team announced. Kelenic suffered the injury during Friday’s game against the White Sox.
No mention was made of a recovery timeline, apart from GM Jerry Dipoto saying “we are relieved that the long-term outlook is positive. We all look forward to seeing him back on the field in the near future.” Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times estimated that Kelenic is likely to miss “a few weeks” of time, which would rule out any chance of Kelenic making the Opening Day roster. Kelenic has yet to play any Triple-A ball in his brief pro career, and it now seems as if he will indeed begin his 2021 season with Triple-A Tacoma after looking like a potential early season activation.
OF Avisail Garcia (2FA/$5), Goutfish
The Brewers signing of Jackie Bradley, Jr. will push Goutfish outfielder Avisail Garcia to the bench and out of Keeper contention. While GM Ryan Atkinson was unlikely to retain Garcia, he remained a potential trade candidate before Draft Day but that hope now looks to be gone.