CJ Abrams (tibia, MCL) out for season
PHILADELPHIA -- One of Minor League Baseball's rising stars will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Padres shortstop prospect CJ Abrams, MLB Pipeline's No. 8 overall prospect, will miss the remainder of the season while he recovers from a left leg injury he sustained in a collision while playing for Double-A San Antonio on Wednesday night.
Abrams was diagnosed with a fractured left tibia and a sprained MCL. The Padres pegged his recovery time at three months -- perhaps leaving open the possibility of Abrams playing winter ball or in the Arizona Fall League.
In 42 games at Double-A San Antonio this season, Abrams was hitting .296/.363/.420 with three homers and was invited to participate in the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The No. 6 overall selection in the 2019 Draft, Abrams is one of Minor League Baseball's toolsiest players -- a solid defender with elite speed and bat-to-ball skills.
The 20-year-old Abrams impressed during Spring Training, holding his own against big league competition with a .703 OPS and a pair of homers -- including a grand slam.
The ascent of Abrams, an elite shortstop prospect in the Padres' farm system, has often been compared to that of Fernando Tatis Jr. Perhaps that comparison offers a bit of a positive outlook for Abrams in his recovery.
In 2018, Tatis was ruled out for the season in July while playing for Double-A San Antonio after he fractured his left thumb. He would never play another game in the Minor Leagues.