Rays prospect Honeywell (elbow) out for season
Brent Honeywell, who is the Rays' No. 2-ranked prospect, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a fracture on the inside of his right elbow. Dr. James Andrews will perform surgery in Pensacola, Fla., on Monday, and the club will have a timetable after the surgery.
Recovering from Tommy John surgery, Honeywell sustained the injury while throwing a bullpen session in Port Charlotte, Fla., on Saturday.
“I know he was dying to get here and play with us,” Rays shortstop Willy Adames, who played with Honeywell in the Minor Leagues, said. “[That] is so sad because I know he can’t wait to be here, and now he has to wait another year to recover. I know he always wants to be on the field. Even if he’s not pitching, he likes to be in the dugout cheering us on. … Everybody loves him.”
The Rays drafted Honeywell with the 72nd overall pick in the 2014 Draft out of Walters State Community College (Tenn.). He advanced from the Appalachian League to Triple-A in just four seasons, and he appeared in only two games for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits in ‘17 before he was called up to Durham.
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MLB Pipeline noted his ability to throw five pitches in a single outing, including a fastball that can reach 95-96 mph. Overall, he has accumulated a record of 31-19 over 78 starts in the Minors, including 458 strikeouts in 416 innings.
The 24-year-old last pitched in 2017, going 13-9 with a 3.49 ERA. That season, Honeywell tied for the fifth-most strikeouts (172) in the Minors.
“It’s not going to deter him. It’s not going to deter him at all,” former Minor League teammate Ryan Yarbrough said. “He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get after it. He’s going to go for it, and there’s nothing that’ll stop him.
“He’ll be up there. There’s no question in my mind, he’ll be here.”