A left thumb sprain sent Brewers outfield prospect Sal Frelick to the seven-day Triple-A injured list this week, and MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets that Frelick is getting a second opinion on the injury. Though a second opinion is often something of an ominous sign, “it sounds like the more [the Brewers] learn, the more they believe Sal avoided a serious injury,” McCalvy writes. That’s good news for Frelick, who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier this week.
A consensus top-50 prospect heading into the season, Frelick was picked 15th overall by the Brewers in the 2021 draft, and he has mostly been tearing up minor league pitching during his brief pro career. He played in 46 Triple-A games last season and was projected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2023, though Frelick has been set back by both his thumb problem and a slow start in general, as he has hit a modest .232/.318/.321 over 65 Triple-A plate appearances this year. Had he been healthy, Frelick might have been in the majors as early as this weekend, given that Garrett Mitchell might be facing a season-ending shoulder surgery. Once Frelick is himself healthy, he’ll certainly be on Milwaukee’s radar as a possible answer to its outfield depth issues.
More from around the NL Central….
- Since the Brewers’ rotation has also been thinned by injuries to Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Ashby, the club is stretching out Adrian Houser as a potential starting option. “Really, it’s day by day with all this because we’re checking health….He’s in a regular starter’s routine now, so we’ll see what happens after this one,” manager Craig Counsell told McCalvy and other reporters. “If we need him, he’s ready to go.” Houser has yet to pitch this season due to a groin injury, and is slated to toss 75-80 pitches in a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday.
- Adam Wainwright is also set for another minor league rehab start, with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeting that Wainwright is expected to toss around 75 pitches on Tuesday for the Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate. Wainwright has been recovering from a groin strain suffered during a Team USA workout during the World Baseball Classic, and it is possible that the Cards might activate their longtime ace from the 15-day IL if he gets through this second rehab outing without incident.
- Pirates catching prospect Endy Rodriguez will be examined by doctors in Pittsburgh on Monday after suffering a right forearm strain, GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). Like Frelick, Rodriguez was also starting the season at Triple-A and was expected to arrive in the majors in 2023, and Rodriguez was helping his case with a respectable .263/.333/.456 slash line over 66 plate appearances. Baseball America ranked Rodriguez 23rd on its preseason top-100 list, with MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus each ranking Rodriguez as the 55th-best prospect in baseball. Most of Rodriguez’s time has been spent as a catcher, but he has also played first base, second base, and both corner outfield slots, making him a unique multi-positional threat.
We always ask , but never demand a Frelick on our 23rd birthday!
At this point the Brewers are only a couple injuries away from sporting a full on AAA team
Tired of the hype talk about Frelick. Same folks were talking how Big Bill Wegman was going to bring hardware home to Milwaukee 35 years ago.
Sure, but all you’re really saying is no prospect is a cert. Doesn’t mean Frelick won’t perform.
I was around when Wegman hype made you call in sick, I hear all about how Frelick is toolsy, I don’t see it.
Sure, but all you’re really saying is no prospect is a cert. Doesn’t mean Frelick won’t perform.
So a 1st rd pick who slashes essentially .330 with 400+ OB his 1st 2 seasons that got him all the way to AAA is tiresome hype to you? The thumb issue may be a big reason why he’s off to a slower start you know in 15games hitting. Continues to carry an elite level low strikeout rate.
Bill Wegman hype? Like near 40years ago? I’d maybe get being overly hyped if he were being lauded as a top 5 prospect or best prospect in all of baseball. You’re upset on a guy not far inside of top 50?
Like Diego Cartaya is #12 on MLB list. That is overhype. Just odd to be upset at Sal who’s #27 now on MLB.
I doubt very many of the “same folks” are hyping two guys 35 years ago and now.
Apparently Bill Wegman hurt that dude personally and still holds a grudge over it 35 years later.
I’m an AM radio guy and Wegman hype was insane back then. And yes, I bought in hook, line and sinker for Wegman. Thankfully this guy and team wasn’t a stock cause I’d be broke. So all I’m saying is overhyping prospects as the next big thing is frustrating to say the least.
Have you been in a coma for 25years? We’ve witnessed some doozies of over hyped prospects that failed. How’d you feel about Lewis Brinson when the Brewers had him briefly? Orlando Arcia was a top 15 maybe top 10 when called up by Brewers. Neither carried the hit tool Frelick carries. If Frelick can stick as a CF defensively, that’s a special player there on any teams roster. If he’s a corner OF his lack of power lessens his values where he has to hit for high average/ob or else he’s a not a starter but a 4th OF. The 320 avg and 400 OB career in minors dropped say 35 and 45 at 285/355 will work for a team.
Hard for me to get all jazzed up over one hot season in the minors. I did that song and dance hard for Wegman back in the day. Fool me once is all I’m saying.
But Frelick has done that for 2 years not 1.
Big Bill Wegman did it for three, 1.81 ERA in Stockton.
Wegman and Frelick in the same sentence. . DIdn’t see that coming.
Maybe add Glenn Braggs to that too. He tore it up in the minors but didn’t produce at the MLB level.. That’s how it goes.
I was talking to Billy Joe Robidoux about this the other day, we cant seem to recall any overhyped prospects, the little general Ron Theobald was a sparkplug, Rick Auerbach had great range. How about Dan Thomas, the sundown kid, he sure could hit, during the day games.
Frelick is out getting surgery on his hand, I remember when Wegman had arm issues creep up in his career and never got the fastball back, nibbled the corners. One day I’ll stop boarding the prospect hype train,
I’m worried for Waino. There is something going on with the entire staff. I can’t decide if it’s a change in organizational philosophy due to a new pitching coach or are we missing Yadi more than we anticipated.
In any case Waino needs those borderline calls more than any other pitcher on the staff. I almost hope Knizner becomes his personal catcher, and I hate to say that because Willy has been so good in most ways.
Whatever, this team needs a kick in the a$$ and I don’t think Goldy is the kind of guy who’ll do it. Waino needs to come back, channel his inner Chris Carpenter, and hold some guys accountable. That would be more meaningful than anything he does on the bump.
That is usually a job of the catcher and no one has taken that mantle since Yadi retired.
They miss him for sure and that is to be expected.
Gee. He was always good for 5-6 wins a year against the Pirates. All he had to do was throw his glove on the mound. What a shame
If the pitching staff needs Yadi to be successful, that’s a credit to Yadi but a bigger indictment of the staff and coaches. Figure it out, guys. Everyone knew Yadi was retiring.
I have no insight into the Cardinals clubhouse by any means but two things that stand out to me are that the established veterans (Goldy, Arenado, Waino, Mikolas, etc) all generally seem to be lead by example type guys. Then the whole Marmol/O’Neil seemed way too far on the other end of spectrum and just unnecessary.
A message is certainly not getting conveyed or if it’s getting conveyed it’s being well received. This feels like a change in manager situation more than anything. Something isn’t working beyond the players simply underperforming. Unfortunately, this slide will likely be allowed to run a good while longer since Marmol is the golden boy of the front office.
@DonO: I agree with you that Wainwright needs those borderline calls. But he doesn’t need them IMHO, as much as one Tom Glavine needed them.
I really don’t think Glavine would have even sniffed the HOF, if he didn’t constantly receive the benefit of the infamous, automatic outside the zone, strike calls he received. To RH batters, his pitches rarely reached the corner, but joke umpires always gave him the call.
That’s why eventually opposing managers started using more LH hitters against him.
The counter to that is Glavine received the beneficial zone by establishing himself as an excellent pitcher in the first place. A player doesn’t get called up from the minors and automatically get those calls for the entirety of his career.
If pitchers are consistent in hitting their spots, they usually get those calls. Greg Maddux and others have as well. That’s why good command is so important, I think even more so than velocity.
On the other side, hitters like Joey Votto with a good knowledge of the strike zone get calls their way too.
@nottingham. I feel though, a bigger reason that Glavine got those calls, was because he was on a pitching staff with Maddox and Smoltz. Glavine was just along for the ride. Just my opinion.
I take you weren’t around for Big Bill Wegman days. Same song and dance.
Hey man, I drank the Wegman koolaid too in 92′, but pump the breaks brother, that guy is a Wisconsin treasure, gave all the gas he had to this team. Got to give Frelick a chance, thinkin’ he might be good.