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Stacey King -> RE: Players and prospects III (9/9/2014 7:06:48 PM)
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Twins Class A left-hander Lewis Thorpe, 18, has been diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.
Thorpe, rated the organization’s No. 7 prospect before the season by Baseball America, had no issues in his final start for Class A Cedar Rapids last week.
“He said he felt it in the bullpen before he was supposed to make a start in the (Midwest League) playoffs,” said Brad Steil, Twins director of minor league operations. “We’ll just have to see how his throwing program goes and how quick he can get back.”
Thorpe will report to Fort Myers, Fla., for the start of fall instructional league but the talented Australian will be limited to doing rehab work on the side.
Steil, who was in Cedar Rapids as the Kernels fell in the Midwest League playoffs, said Thorpe took the setback well.
“I think he’s fine,” he said. “He had a real good year, being 18 and in the Midwest League. He grew more confident in using his secondary pitches and using those in different counts.”
Thorpe, one of the youngest players in the league, went 3-2 with a 3.52 earned run average in 16 starts for the Kernels after opening the year in extended spring training. His nine-inning strikeout rate of 10.11 ranked seventh in the league among all pitchers with at least 70 innings.
Of the three pitching prospects ranked ahead of Thorpe in the Twins’ system, all dealt with arm issues at some point in the year. Alex Meyer left his final start for Rochester with a shoulder strain; Kohl Stewart was bothered by a shoulder impingement at two separate times in the second half for Cedar Rapids; and Jose Berrios left a late July start at Double-A New Britain with a minor shoulder issue as well.
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