Under The Knife 8/18/25
Hunting High and Low
Where did these guys come from?
A ninth-round pick who sprinted to the majors in two years, then nearly vanished. Two seasons lost to a flexor repair. Now he’s throwing like he never left.
A Dominican signing from 2014, moved in a low-profile prospect-for-prospect deal, who didn’t cement a roster spot until 2023. The preseason line on him was mild: three-pitch mix, back-end starter, useful if shielded from the big bats.
A fourth-rounder out of a D2 directional school - a guy I once saw pitch against the University of Indianapolis team I was coaching. Twice traded for organizational filler. Written off as Triple-A depth with a “kitchen-sink” repertoire.
A ninth-rounder claimed off waivers after hitting .221 in Double-A in his sixth minor-league season. The book on him said his only plus skill was his strike-zone judgment and even that might not survive in the majors.
A fourteenth-rounder with back-to-back hot Fall League runs — rare enough to get noticed — who was penciled in as a handy utility guy. Now he’s a Rookie of the Year candidate.
Tarik Skubal. Cristopher Sanchez. Chad Patrick. Isaac Collins. Chad Durbin.
Today, ESPN has them in award conversations. A few years ago, some of them weren’t in their own organization’s long-term plans. Their paths are a jumble of injuries, roster crunches, trades, reinventions, and, always, one scout somewhere who saw something others missed.
Prospect lists are great. They’re the product of hard work, deep looks, and informed projection, but they’re a starting point, not a final draft. Some of these names were on them. Some weren’t. That’s not a knock - it’s proof that the game still resists being fully mapped and cleanly optimized.
I could pull examples like this all day. The journey from “organizational depth” to “award contender” never follows a single straight route. Sometimes the detours are the point. When a player finally gets there, knowing the turns they took makes the arrival even better. On to the injuries:
ZACK WHEELER, SP PHI (blood clot)
Please check the UTK Flash for the info we have on Zack Wheeler and his blood clot. As yet, I’ve received no further information but continue to monitor it. Wheeler is back in Philadelphia where he will have more scans, more consultations, and most likely, some sort of procedure in the next 48 hours.
Several readers have asked whether Wheeler having a start pushed back was a result of the clot and the answer is “maybe.” We simply don’t know how this presented or how the medical staff got to checking for a clot. My hope is that we’ll have this information and I’m attempting to learn more about the condition from experts in the field. It’s impossible to say they weren’t connected yet, but too early to say they were.
MARCELO MAYER, IF BOS (sprained wrist)
It didn’t take long after starting up baseball activities for Marcelo Mayer to realize that his wrist sprain wasn’t going to hold up. I’m told there was pain on activity, swelling after, and that it was very clear to Mayer that he wasn’t going to be able to come back this year as both he and the team had hoped.
The TFCC issue is more than just a sprain, but calling it that isn’t incorrect. It’s a “complex” of cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, plus nerves and blood vessels, so the surgeons are going to have to do more than just repair or reconstruct. The first step is almost always to look in with a scope. At that point, it can be debridement (cleanup) or repair, which is more involved and can involve anchors into the bone. The most extreme require some changes to the bone - called an osteotomy - and that would be the worst case in terms of timeline.
Mayer acknowledged he could have just had the surgery when it happened, but he wanted to at least have the chance of returning in season and helping the club with their chase. Instead, the surgery has a three month recovery and should have Mayer back in plenty of time for a good off-season, if not normal, and to set up for spring training. This is the second year in a row that Mayer’s season has ended early, though he certainly came back from last year’s shoulder issue well. I’m sure he and the Red Sox will address questions about his durability this off-season.
I’ll be on Foul Territory this afternoon in the 2pm Eastern hour. Until then, you could read more about Josh Hader, the Blue Jays, another young pitcher on the shelf, an injury stack, and another long Quick Cuts. Subscribe and you can, for the lowest price possible on Substack!