MLB Prospect Watch

Prospect Potent Potables - 6/4

Today's links are in honor of the end of the Stephen Strasburg Era in minor league baseball...

• The Rockies finally have their top-two picks from last season, Tyler Matzek and Nolan Arenado, playing together in Asheville, reports Bill Ballew of MLB.com.
• Mat Gamel, still rehabbing from his spring training shoulder injury, is back in Triple-A, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
• Rudy Owens is carving out a name for himself as a legitimate prospect in the Pirates' organization, says Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Mike Minor continues to put up remarkable strike out numbers, fanning 11 in his latest start.

Gamel Out 6-9 Weeks, Possibly More

Mat Gamel's spring was already being considered a lost cause, as the Milwaukee Brewers' 3B prospect has played only three innings due to his injured right shoulder.  The news on that injury just got a lot worse, as Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Gamel will now be out indefinitely with a tear in the muscle behind the injured shoulder.

Gamel will not be able to participate in any baseball activity for at least 6 weeks, then will have to get back into baseball shape, so he could miss up to two full months.  The injury will not require surgery.

Prospect Injury Update 3/10

• The only thing that can keep Scott Sizemore out of the Tigers' Opening Day lineup is the same thing that ended his 2009 fall season - his left ankle.  Sizemore, who broke the ankle in the Arizona Fall League, is considered the front-runner for the team's 2B job, but he asked out of the lineup on Tuesday because of discomfort in the surgically repaired ankle, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.  Of course, it also could have been because he was scheduled to face Stephen Strasburg.  Lowe later reported that Sizemore wasn't worried about the ankle, saying "It just felt weak (today) -- it felt a little unstable, a little muscular. Maybe just a little overworked. I’d rather not take a chance at this point -- I’ve still got three weeks of spring training to go. I’m just trying to be smart -- not get hurt again.
• Mat Gamel is taking a few more days off due to his sore right (throwing) shoulder, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, and may have come back to soon from the initial injury.  Gamel is attempting to overtake Casey McGehee as the Brewers' starting third baseman, but needs this time in Spring Training to show the team he has improved his defense and can handle toe role defensively.

Prospect Injury Update - 3/4

We're getting far enough into Spring Training that a few players are getting banged up, and prospects are certainly not immune to the wear and tear of playing baseball every day.  

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that Allen Craig, who is competing for a roster spot as a 3B or LF, will sit out the weekend with a left quad injury, reports Matthew Leach of MLB.com.  Another NL Central 3B candidate, Mat Gamel of the Milwaukee Brewers, was left out of Thursday's lineup with a sore right shoulder, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Neither injury is considered serious and both should be back to full activity by the end of the weekend, but for prospects competing for a job, any setback can be devistating.

Big Names Called Up

In the past few days, 3 organizations have called up hitting prospects of significant note.

• The Baltimore Orioles have called up Nolan Reimold, a right-handed hitting left-fielder, reports Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's current LF situation consists of Felix Pie and Lou Montanez splitting at-bats.  Hopefully manager Dave Trembley will allow Reimold to work his way into some playing time.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks called up their top hitting prospect, Gerardo Parra, on Wednesday, and he started in centerfield for the D-Backs last night, homering in his first at-bat.  Parra's spot in the bigs could cost Chris Young or Eric Byrnes some at-bats in a now crowded Arizona outfield.
• Preparing for their transition into interleague play, the Milwaukee Brewers have called up their top prospect Mat Gamel to DH during the interleague games, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  This is an excellent fit for the Brewers, as there is little douting Gamel's bat, but his feliding abilities put Milwaukee in a similiar situation as they had with Ryan Braun.  Gamel is a third baseman, but not a very good one, but left field and first base are clearly road blocked.  If Gamel hits as expceted during his call-up, the Brewers will have a nice problem on their hands.