May 22: Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder tells reporters that the organization hopes Honeywell will be cleared to throw off a mound prior to the offseason (Twitter link via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Suffice it to say, that seems to rule out any contributions in 2020.
May 21: The Rays announced Thursday that touted pitching prospect Brent Honeywell Jr. underwent a decompression procedure on his right ulnar nerve yesterday. He’ll start strength and mobility exercises next Monday, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio tweets.
It’s yet another arm-related setback for Honeywell, a 2014 second-round pick who has ranked among the game’s premier pitching prospects in each of the past five offseasons. The 25-year-old hasn’t pitched in a minor league game since 2017, however. He underwent Tommy John surgery after sustaining a UCL tear in spring 2018, and he fractured his elbow last June while rehabbing from that Tommy John procedure. Honeywell had returned to a mound early in Spring Training this year, but there’s now no clear timetable for when he’ll resume throwing.
Scouting reports on Honeywell tout him as a high-impact starter — one who possesses a legitimate five-pitch mix, with each offering carrying average or better potential. One of the few pitchers in today’s game tossing a legitimate screwball, Honeywell has long been considered a potentially vital cog to the Rays’ future pitching plans, but his arm simply hasn’t cooperated. When he’s been healthy enough to take the mound, Honeywell has turned in 416 innings of 2.88 ERA ball with 9.9 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 0.58 HR/9 and a ground-ball rate near 41 percent.
The Rays obviously have ample pitching depth. Their five-man rotation would consist of Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yonny Chirinos and Ryan Yarbrough. Beyond that quintet lies a quality stock of secondary options including Brendan McKay, Anthony Banda, Trevor Richards and Jalen Beeks. Southpaw Shane McClanahan, the No. 31 pick in 2018, isn’t too far behind that group. That said, few arms in that bunch can match Honeywell’s ceiling, making the latest bout of uncertainty regarding his health all the more difficult for the organization.
Poor guy, he must be really frustrated.
I wonder how much more control the Rays have over Honeywell?
He doesn’t have any service time yet, but he was injured just after he was added to the 40.
He has one more option year left.
Extremely fortunate for TB that he wasn’t on the major league roster when these injuries started popping up. Would’ve lost likely 3 years of control. If not more
Good luck, this has to be difficult to deal with. So much talent, but that golden arm is not cooperating. Too much unnecessary pitching while growing up? I bet he over threw since a young age.
good gosh, this guy’s arm is a tease
Just because you can catch a ball doesn’t mean you can catch a break – Brett Honeywell
I love watching Honeywell pitch, and despite the injuries, I still think he can be a threat in the majors. I just have one question: if Honeywell does great in his rookie year, can he win comeback player of the year and ROY?
Should be able to. This guy has all the talent in the world and tons of bad luck.
Considering he never pitched in a big league game, I’d say comeback player isn’t a possibility.
Tough for this season, if there is one. I had the same procedure, and while I am not an MLB pitcher, the general recovery was 6 weeks before I was back to normal activities. The real challenge will be if there remains numbness in his pinky and ring finger.
When I had tommy john surgery I lost feel in my right 3 fingers and along the outside of my arm and pinky. I got the feeling back in my fingers but there is just this weird feeling on the outside of my arm and pinky still, it’s still has some numbness but not complete numbness, it’s hard to explain but I figured you would understand since you had the ulnar nerve worked on
The ulner nerve is the “funny bone” in your elbow and eventually controls you three smallest fingers and helps the other two.
Ouch….
My son had TJ surgery 4 years ago. It took about 18 months before he felt sort of normal. He still gets numbness every now and then when he stresses it. I wonder if his was mechanic or natural repair. My son doesn’t have any hardware. However, he never played again.
He’s done.
You’re done
That’s right. Dunn was over Unger and I was over Dunn.
Unfortunately I agree, time to hang it up and call it a day. It may help him to remove a pitch or two, if he does want to keep playing.
Lights out closer. Rivera good with the screwball and fastball.
sigh… Poor guy. Hopefully he does not come another “what could of been” pitcher
Or even a ‘what could’ve’ been pitcher.
Gotta feel bad for mr Honeywell. Good kid, keep your head up dude you’re gonna make it
Maybe scrap the screwball?
he actually threw the screwball sparingly in the minors
The fact that he threw it at all and developed it into a serviceable pitch is telling.
A real screwball is actually easier on your arm than a fastball!
I hate that the narrative will be the screwball caused this when this could have nothing to do with it and any claim that it did is just speculation.
Unfortunately the guy is done. At this point he is right there with Anderson Espinoza: one of the top pitching prospects in the game to done in just a year or two. He will never be a quality major league starter now. After 1 major injury (Tommy John) maybe. 3 major injuries back to back to back? No.
Hell make it I guarantee it. He might not be a starter but a multi inning closer with elite stuff doesn’t sound like a failure to me.
He has the same chance of being an elite closer as Anderson Espinoza. Less actually, since Espinoza had 4-5 mph on him as a starter and a changeup that was every bit as good as Honeywell’s screwball. What made Honeywell special is that he had 5 effective pitches. 5 pitches won’t help him in the bullpen. Either as a starter or reliever, I doubt he will ever become a reliable pitcher now.
Hard to assume his stuff will be the same. I wish I had your optimism my dude, but even then a guarantee might be a hard thing to sell here.
Man has he had some bad luck! At least this time around I guess the timing is as good as any as there might not even be minor league baseball this year so he’ll at least have ample time to rehab… though I suppose with the expanded rosters and such there was probably a good shot of him making his debut this year — who knows maybe he still will get that chance depending on how rehab and everything goes. I wish him the best — he is obviously incredibly talented (as evidenced by the numbers he has put up when healthy in the minors — especially the K #’s he put up in 2017 — quite impressive!
Elbow problems and throws a screwball are related terms
Does not sound as serious as the other injuries. Could be back this season, and if not big deal this season is going to have a million asterisks any way.
Man, I’ve been excited to see this guy come up since he was drafted. I hate seeing him go through this. Hopefully he stays patient and works his way through this, he had unbelievable talent.
him and Anderson Espinosa need to form a support group
Jarrod Parker would be the president
Have any pitchers come back from this surgery? How about both TJ and Ulnar?
Michael Fulmer had Ulnar surgery… still rehabbing.
He’s becoming Jarrod Parker 2.0
More like Honey not well…*sees self out in disgust
He really cannot catch a break! I honestly feel bad for him, I really do.