Here is the latest on injuries and roster moves involving MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects:
LATEST NEWS
No. 3 Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
Injury: Left ankle sprain
Expected return: Early April
Jenkins sustained a sprained left ankle early in camp and has been brought along slowly. Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said that while it¡¯s possible Jenkins will not be on an Opening Day roster, it should not be long before he is in games.
¡°He¡¯s tracking well on the back fields,¡± Zoll said. ¡°So I guess I don¡¯t have an official [statement] one way or the other, but all signs are pointing towards hopefully, probably [being ready]. I think sometimes ... Opening Day gets made out a little bit more than it needs to be, so we¡¯re just trying to set him up for the season. So everything¡¯s tracking well so far on the back fields. Should be in a good spot here.¡± (Last updated: March 25)
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MORE TOP 100 PROSPECT NEWS
(ordered by ranking)
No. 24 Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants
Injury: Left wrist soreness
Expected return: TBD
The club announced that the first baseman was scratched from Spring Breakout due to left wrist soreness, an injury that has sidelined him for the last two weeks. Eldridge said he tweaked his wrist while taking a warmup swing and was shut down from all baseball activities when the discomfort persisted. An MRI exam came back clean, and Eldridge said he managed to resume hitting off a tee on March 15.
Eldridge said he hopes to return to game action by the end of next week, though he¡¯s unsure if he¡¯ll have enough time to ramp back up and be ready for the start of the Minor League season. (Last updated: March 15)
No. 29 Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Rockies
Injury: Broken left wrist
Expected return: TBD
Charlie Condon, the third overall pick in the 2024 Draft and Colorado's No. 2 prospect, sustained w a non-displaced fracture of his left wrist while diving to make a catch in the outfield on March 11. More precisely, it¡¯s a radial styloid process fracture. Chris Forbes, the Rockies¡¯ director of player development, said there is no ligament damage and no surgery will be necessary. The plan is for Condon to wear a splint on the wrist for four weeks, then begin strengthening it, and at the six-week mark, resume baseball activities. (Last updated: March 14)
No. 35 Rhett Lowder, RHP, Reds
Injury: Right elbow injury
Expected return: Possibly Opening Day
The Reds are being cautious with their second-ranked prospect after an MRI on his elbow showed no structural damage. Lowder said he didn't feel like he was recovering well from bullpens in January but feels great now that he's working with fellow rehabbing players. Manager Terry Francona declined to give a timetable for Lowder's return but said the team is hopeful that he can return by Opening Day. (Last updated: Feb. 14)
No. 36 Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians
Injury: Left-side core muscle injury
Expected return: Potentially early May
DeLauter underwent core muscle surgery the morning of March 4, the Guardians announced. The injury will sideline him to start the season. The 2022 first-rounder suffered the injury while doing pregame defensive work on February 28. He visited Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia the following Monday, and Meyers confirmed the presence of a sports hernia. Following an evaluation, Meyers recommended surgery, and DeLauter had a bilateral repair to additionally stabilize his right side. The 23-year-old will return to Arizona to begin his rehab. (Last updated: March 4)
No. 37 Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins
Injury: Left ankle sprain
Expected return: Late February/Early March
Rodriguez missed significant time in 2024 with a recurring thumb injury and also was limited in previous seasons by knee and abdominal maladies. The 21-year-old is now a week or two behind in Spring Training after spraining his left ankle on Feb. 10 while fielding in the outfield. A team spokesman said imaging was negative. (Last updated: Feb. 17)
No. 48 Blake Mitchell, C, Royals
Injury: Broken right hamate bone
Expected return: Potentially early April
Mitchell's first time in big league camp didn't last long, as the Royals found a broken hamate bone in his right hand, which will require surgery in the coming week. Kansas City expects him to return to play in 4-to-6 weeks, meaning he'll be sidelined until the regular season. The 2023 first-rounder is expected to begin the season at High-A Quad Cities, where he ended the 2024 campaign. Mitchell had a delayed start to Spring Training as well after getting his tonsils removed in late January but was able to take part in catching bullpens and fully practice before the injury. (Last updated: Feb. 22)
No. 69 Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals
Injury: Labrum surgery
Expected return: May
After a breakout 2024 campaign in which he struck out 129 batters with a 2.33 ERA in 85 Single-A innings, the 6-foot-6 right-hander underwent minor labrum surgery on his hip over the winter. He is expected to return to action in the Minors in May. (Last updated: Feb. 13)
No. 90 Cam Collier, 3B, Reds
Injury: Left thumb surgery
Expected return: 4-6 weeks
The Reds' No. 4 prospect will begin the season on the injured list after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb while applying a tag in a game vs. the Cubs on March 2. His hand has since been immobilized, and Collier is scheduled for surgery on March 13. The operation will be performed in Arizona by hand surgeon Dr. Donald Sheridan. (Last updated: March 9)
No. 95 Jonny Farmelo, OF, Mariners
Injury: Torn right ACL
Expected return: Midseason 2025
The 29th overall pick in the 2023 Draft was in the midst of a breakout season when he tore his right ACL in June, just 46 games into the season. Farmelo is expected to return at some point this summer, and all eyes will be how his potentially double-plus speed returns after the injury. (Last updated: Jan. 24)