Top 100 prospects: Injuries & roster moves

July 5th, 2024

Here is the latest on injuries and roster moves involving MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects:

LATEST NEWS

No. 83 Zac Veen, OF, Rockies
Injury:
Low back strain
Expected return: TBD
Veen, 22, has been on a rehab assignment in High-A Spokane since July 1, going 4-for-13 (.308) with a double, three RBIs, five walks, one strikeout and three stolen bases in four games. He had a hit in every game until an 0-for-4 showing on Thursday.

On Friday, Rockies manager Bud Black said Veen will “soon to go to [Double-A] Hartford,” signaling the end of his rehab.

The outfielder began his rehab with three games in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on June 25 after having previously worked out at the team’s complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. A left hand/thumb injury -- in addition to the back ailment -- slowed Veen’s progress. Veen was off to a solid start at Hartford to begin the year, slashing .326/.418/.568 across 28 games. (Last updated: July 5)

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MORE TOP 100 PROSPECT NEWS
(ordered by ranking)

No. 1 Jackson Holliday, INF, Orioles
Injury:
Right elbow inflammation
Expected return: June 25
MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect was reinstated on June 25 after being placed on Triple-A Norfolk's injured list with right elbow inflammation on June 14. Baltimore GM Mike Elias said the 20-year-old's elbow had been "barking" and reiterated on June 19 that he does not believe the injury is a long-term concern. The Orioles reported that Holliday will exclusively DH for several weeks as part of his rehab progression. (Last updated: June 25)

No. 3 Junior Caminero, INF, Rays
Injury:
Left quad strain
Expected return: Likely July
Caminero, who has spent the entire season with Triple-A Durham after making his Major League debut last September, was placed on the Minor League seven-day injured list on May 29 after sustaining a Grade 2 left quad strain while running out a ground ball for the final out of the game on May 28.

The slugging third baseman is expected to miss four to six weeks, which will further delay his anticipated return to the Majors. He is doing well in his recovery and currently rehabbing at the club's Spring Training complex in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Last updated: June 13)

No. 8 Jordan Lawlar, SS, Diamondbacks
Injury:
Left hamstring strain
Expected return: TBD
Lawlar injured his left hamstring while legging out a triple in the ninth inning of Triple-A Reno’s June 15 game. Lawlar had an MRI exam on June 17 that showed a Grade 1 strain, and he is expected to miss at least a month.

This is Lawlar’s second stint on the IL this year after he opened the season with a thumb injury and played his first Minor League game on May 29. (Last updated: June 18)

No. 17 Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs
Injury:
Right lat strain
Expected return: July
After a recent checkup in Chicago, the 22-year-old Horton was diagnosed with a right lat strain, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on June 4. The current plan calls for Horton to be shut down from throwing for three to four weeks while rehabbing at the Cubs’ complex in Arizona.

Horton, who was Chicago’s first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in the 2022 Draft, exited his May 29 start for Triple-A Iowa after logging 20 pitches in one inning (two runs allowed) against Louisville. The righty has posted a 7.50 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in 18 innings (five starts) for Iowa, following a four-start stint (1.10 ERA with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 16 1/3 innings) with Double-A Tennessee to begin the season. (Last updated: June 4)

No. 19 Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies
Injury: Partial tear in right elbow
Expected return: 2025
Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023, and he is not expected to pitch again until the 2025 season. The right-hander will still be just 21 years old on Opening Day next year.

“We haven’t talked about a timetable or anything like that,” Painter said in February. “We don’t want to clog the mind with different scenarios and play the hypothetical game. We’re just trying to make sure there’s the least amount of distractions possible and I can just go in and focus on my rehab and make sure we’re getting better every day.” (Last updated: May 18)

No. 21 Jeferson Quero, C, Brewers
Injury: Torn labrum in right shoulder
Expected return: 2025
Triple-A Nashville catcher Jeferson Quero underwent season-ending surgery for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, delaying until 2025 the rapid ascent of one of baseball’s top catching prospects.

Quero, 21, dislocated his right shoulder in his Triple-A debut when he dove back to first base. After being examined by Brewers team doctors, Quero sought a second opinion from shoulder guru Dr. Barry Meister, the same surgeon who repaired Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff’s shoulder last fall, and elected for a surgical route that will sideline Quero for approximately nine months. (Last updated: April 10)

No. 25 Jasson Domínguez, OF, Yankees
Injury: Left oblique strain
Expected return: September
Domínguez returned to the injured list after feeling a tweak near his left oblique on a checked swing while playing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 15. Tests revealed the 21-year-old Domínguez has a significant strain in the oblique, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on June 20. Domínguez is expected to miss at least eight weeks of action. (Last updated: June 20)

No. 26 Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Twins
Injury:
Right thumb strain
Expected return: TBD
Rodriguez was in his first game back from a hand injury that had kept him out of action for a week when he appeared to sprain his thumb on a slide into second base on a double to left-center field as part of a 2-for-2 return to the lineup on June 5. He was placed on the Minor League 7-day IL with the injury on June 7. (Last updated: June 7)

No. 28 Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians
Injury:
Fractured foot/sprain toe
Expected return: TBD
After missing over a month due to a fracture in his surgically repaired left foot, the Guardians' No. 1 prospect returned to action on May 28, only to leave the contest after two plate appearances due to a sprained toe on his right foot. He sprained the toe running into the outfield wall while chasing down a fly ball. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said it didn't sound like the injury was too serious, but DeLauter has been out of Double-A Akron's lineup ever since. (Last updated: June 25)

No. 30 Jett Williams, SS/OF, Mets
Injury:
Right wrist soreness
Expected return: August
Toward the end of April, Williams began dealing with a bout of right wrist soreness, which has kept him off the field beginning April 21. To treat it, Williams received a cortisone injection in early May, but his soreness persisted enough for doctors to administer a second shot later in the month, which also didn't bring Williams back to full health. As a result, he underwent surgery on June 6. Williams is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks. (Last updated: June 7)

No. 39 Drew Gilbert, OF, Mets
Injury:
Right hamstring strain
Expected return: Early July
Gilbert, the top prospect the Mets acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade last summer, hasn’t played since straining his right hamstring in the second game of an April 6 doubleheader for Triple-A Syracuse. He is on the seven-day Minor League IL but has been deliberate in his rehab process and is unlikely to return until late June. (Last updated: May 31)

No. 41 Jace Jung, 3B/2B, Tigers
Injury: Right wrist soreness
Expected return: Early July
Sidelined since June 20 with an issue that has been nagging him since May, Jung is on the comeback trail. The 2022 12th overall pick began a rehab assignment at Single-A Lakeland, going 0-for-1 with two walks and made a couple of solid plays at third base in Lakeland’s 7-1 win at Tampa. Jung was cleared for baseball activity last week after visiting a hand specialist. The 23-year-old slashed .270/.390/.500 with 11 home runs over 64 games this season for Triple-A Toledo in his first taste of that level. (Last updated: July 1)

No. 42 Tink Hence, RHP, Cardinals
Injury: Cramping
Expected return: Early July
Hence, the top-ranked player in the Cardinals system, left his June 5 start after two innings because of cramping, according to Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. The 21-year-old struck out three and threw 20 of his 35 pitches for strikes. Hence was scheduled to return to action the weekend of June 22, but that was delayed by a day or two after he was invited to visit Rickwood Field with other Cardinals prospects for the Negro Leagues tribute game. For the season, Hence is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. (Last updated: June 20)

No. 45 Ricky Tiedemann, LHP, Blue Jays
Injury: Ulnar nerve inflammation
Expected return: TBD
Tiedemann's rehab start on June 26 for Single-A Dunedin was another great step for the highly touted southpaw. He threw 44 pitches over 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, striking out five with a fastball that touched 98.1 mph. The 21-year-old was getting plenty of whiffs and his stuff is clearly back, so this is just a matter of building up his pitch count over the next few outings until he's stretched out at the Minors' highest level.

Tiedemann underwent an MRI and landed on the 7-day Injured List at Triple-A on April 18 after experiencing left elbow discomfort and skipping his start the day before. (Last updated: June 26)

No. 49 Edwin Arroyo, SS, Reds
Injury: Left shoulder surgery
Estimated return: 2025
Arroyo is out for the season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder during Spring Training. In a March 13 Cactus League game vs. the Giants, the 20-year-old was injured diving back to first base during a pick-off throw. (Last updated: May 17)

No. 56 Jordan Beck, OF, Rockies
Injury:
Broken left hand
Expected return: July
Beck is doing conditioning and running at the team’s complex in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it’ll be two or so weeks before he can begin using the hand for baseball activities. Dr. Donald Sheridan performed surgery on May 29 to insert a plate in Beck’s hand to aid in healing. Injured on May 25, Beck’s original four-to-six-week timeline has been adjusted to six to eight weeks. (Last updated: June 21)

No. 61 Orelvis Martinez, 2B, Blue Jays
Injury:
Suspension
Expected return: End of September
On June 21, Orelvis Martinez fulfilled a lifelong dream by recording his first MLB hit in his debut against the Guardians. Two days later, he received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene, Major League Baseball announced. (Last updated: June 21)

No. 67 AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Braves
Injury:
Left oblique strain
Expected return: Early August
Smith-Shawver made his first rehab start on July 3 with High-A Rome after landing on the injured list with a Grade 2 left oblique strain following his start with Atlanta on May 23. The club's top prospect struck out four (including his first three batters faced) and gave up a solo home run in two innings of work. The 21-year-old threw 20 of his 32 pitches for strikes and hit 98 mph on his first K. (Last updated: July 3)

No. 69 Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Braves
Injury:
Right elbow inflammation
Expected Return: TBD
Waldrep was told he was being sent down after a June 16 start against the Rays, but he was placed on the injured list after telling the team's trainers he was dealing with right elbow discomfort. The 22-year-old hurler doesn't have any structural damage. He could resume throwing again next week. (Last updated: June 21)

No. 70 Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants
Promoted to High-A Eugene
When San Francisco nabbed the 6-foot-7 Eldridge with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 Draft out of the Virginia high school ranks, he was announced as a two-way player. But over the past 12 calendar months, his bat has proven so gifted that the team has quickly focused his attention to the batter's box full-time. The 19-year-old graduates from Single-A San Jose among the top of numerous California League offensive categories with 10 home runs (fourth), 45 RBIs (third) and a .478 slugging percentage (sixth) this season. (Last updated: June 28)

No. 73 Edgar Quero, C, White Sox
Promoted to Triple-A Charlotte
Quero, 21, had an .823 OPS with Double-A Birmingham, tallying 12 home runs, 12 doubles and 53 RBIs. The catcher also worked with one of the best starting rotations across the Minor Leagues. (Last updated: July 4)

No. 77 Anthony Solometo, LHP, Pirates
Injury:
Development list
Expected return: TBD
Pittsburgh's 2021 second-rounder was placed on the Development List on June 18 after struggling to a 6.27 ERA in 13 games for Double-A Altoona. Solometo has allowed 32 hits, including six homers, and 21 walks over 33 innings while striking out 24. (Last updated: June 18)

No. 82 Chase Hampton, RHP, Yankees
Injury: Sprained right ulnar collateral ligament
Expected return: TBD
Hampton has yet to pitch this season after sustaining a right UCL strain during Spring Training. Hampton received a platelet-rich plasma injection on or around March 15, at which time he was shut down from throwing for four to six weeks. Hampton was reassigned to Minor League camp on March 3. (Last updated: May 18)