A’s right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. has an olecranon stress reaction in his throwing elbow, the team informed reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). He is being shut down indefinitely as the club determines next steps.
It’s the latest in a brutal series of injuries for the 26-year-old, whom Oakland acquired from the Rays over the winter. A former fourth-round pick, Honeywell dominated at the lower levels of the Tampa Bay system and quickly emerged as one of the sport’s most promising pitching prospects. Baseball America slotted him among their Top 100 overall farmhands heading into the 2016 campaign, the first of five straight years in which he’d hold a place on that list.
That Honeywell was a top prospect for half a decade spoke both to his talent and to the injuries that kept him from exhausting his rookie eligibility. He didn’t throw a single pitch in an affiliated game from 2018-20, undergoing a staggering four elbow surgeries in that time. He required Tommy John surgery in February 2018; during his rehab, he fractured his elbow the following June. Honeywell then underwent an ulnar nerve decompression procedure in May 2020 before requiring an arthroscopic procedure at the end of that season.
Honeywell returned to make 31 appearances with the Rays’ top affiliate in Durham last season, and he saw action in his first three big league outings. His strikeout rate was way down, though, and the Rays moved him to the A’s for cash to clear a roster spot in advance of Rule 5 protection day. When Honeywell will next take the ball isn’t clear, but it’s a virtual lock he’ll begin the year on the injured list and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s in for another lengthy absence.
In another bit of ominous injury news for the A’s, reliever Deolis Guerra paused his throwing program after feeling some tightness in his forearm (Kawahara link). Forearm tightness is a fairly common precursor to UCL injuries, although it won’t be known whether he’s dealing with a notable structural issue until he goes for further testing tomorrow. Guerra, 33 next month, threw a career-high 65 2/3 innings over 53 appearances last year. He posted a 4.11 ERA with decent strikeout and walk rates (23% and 7.4%, respectively).
In a positive development, righty James Kaprielian responded well to a weekend bullpen session (via Kawahara). He has been dealing with irritation in the AC joint in his throwing shoulder this spring. With a little more than a week until Opening Day, Kaprielian still seems likely to begin the season on the IL, but the former first-rounder should have a key role on the starting staff whenever he’s ready to go. He made 24 appearances (including 21 starts) in 2021, pitching to a 4.07 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout percentage.
Trade Manaea to St. Louis
This seems like the biggest no brainer out there right now. Get it done Mo!
I want the # 1 , or 2 MLB 2023 draft choice for my A’s
Heartbreaking regarding Honeywell. I feel for that guy, hope he can come back…again.
Geez, that reminds me of the Burdi brothers. He has a fantastic talent ceiling, must be absolutely heart breaking. If he gets released again I would love to see my White Sox play the long game with him. I remember watching him play in the future game and thinking, this guy is going to be special. maybe all those screw balls have taken a serious toll on the elbow.
Reminds me of another A’s starter. Jarrod Parker at all kinds of promise too but all kinds of injuries too! Very sad for Honeywell
I am more worried about their hitting. They are lacking a lot of power hitters. They may not even have one player hit 30 homeruns this year. Its going to be a long year for them.
They made their bed by trading away their 2 best players
Honeywell must be one of the most snake bitten pitchers around these days. We may never get to see how good he could be because he may never stay healthy long enough
He’s gotta stop throwing a screwball
Feel bad for the kid. Saw his return game. Everyone roots for this kid. A real gamer.
Great baseball name too. Come back soon.
That screwball really destroyed Honeywell’s arm. It’s too bad too because he could have been great. It’s just such an unnatural movement and the elbow takes the blunt of it. Hopefully he can fully recover.
I’m to blame. Drafted Honeywell in the last round in a sim league over the weekend. Should have went with hoping for a bounceback from Ryan Yarborough instead.
I got to see Honeywell pitch for the Durham Bulls in 2017. He was a damn good pitcher then and was well on his way to starring for Tampa for years to come. Sad how quickly that got turned upside down…
Deolis Guerra is only 32?? I woulda guessed much older since he was in the Johan Santana trade like 15 years ago
Pretty sure he’s the last player in that trade to still be playing pro ball w Gomez retiring
Twins really got so little out of that deal… Gomez became a stud but not until after they moved him for one year of jj hardy (w okay but not great results). Guerra took years to develop into an okay bullpen piece but was released by the twins lin g before hand. Humber had some solid years and the perfect game but only after being released as well. And mulvey was just a total non factor despite being a relatively high pick. Dude never even made the majors.
Overall a pretty disastrous trade for the twins looking back. Probably would have been better off keeping him and letting him walk in free agency as back then you got the first rounder and a supplemental pick for a class a guy.
Poor Honey. The kid was on a path to stardom. What an incredible shame.
I’m just glad Honeywell eventually made it to the Majors, because that alone after all he went though was quite impressive. hopefully we haven’t seen the last of him there.
Isn’t this the kid who after he was drafted there was a big deal about whether to make him a pitcher or a position player? Isn’t he supposed to be really good with the bat? Hell I’d run him out in the OF in the minors for awhile and see if you can’t turn him into Rick Ankiel 3.0? Why not give it a shot?