Bad news from Extended Spring on Coffey and Wirsch

[Tony-OH]

As if the organization needed more bad news, two highly touted pitchers will not actively break camp with short season clubs.

Cameron Coffey has struggled to recover from Tommy John surgery and shut himself down after "not feeling right". Coffey's velocity has peaked around 85-86 MPH and some believe he has a slow arm. Maybe that's because he's taking longer to heal but it's not good news no matter how you look at the situation.

Aaron Wirsch threw well in extended spring but he pulled an oblique muscle and will be held back until he heals.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[JTrea81]

Hopefully Coffey isn't in that 10% or so bracket of players that TJ surgery is unsuccessful for...

[RZNJ]

The Wirsch news is a bump in the road. The Coffey news is pretty bad. 1+ year after the surgery for a 19 year old kid. I would think he'd be back pretty close to 100% by now. This sounds like pretty typical Oriole news though. He shut himself down? You'd think their would be an MRI or some medical report if a kid has to shut himself down. His career is not over but it would be nice to no what the problem is.

[psk3170]

2009 Draft looking scary and risks are not paying off at this time:

1) Hobgood - Velocity way down. Either hurt or underachieving
2) Givens: Hurt
3) Townsend: hurt last year and most of this year
4) Henry: Hurt
5) Tolliover: Hurt
6) Dalles: Hurt
7) Wirsch: Hurt
8) Harris: Unsigned last year
9) Berry: OK
10) Cowan: Hurt last year and this year

Overslots:
11) Ohlman: Minor nagging injuries warranted him being taken off roster. Hitting under Mendoza line.

22) Coffey: hurt and not recovering well from TJ surgury

Outcome: Delmarva is struggling badly. Frederick will likely struggle next year. We will have a major hole in our development system if these guys do not turn it on and quickly.


This many hurt players from the top of one draft class is just plain unacceptable.

[RZNJ]

2009 Draft looking scary and risks are not paying off at this time:

1) Hobgood - Velocity way down. Either hurt or underachieving
2) Givens: Hurt
3) Townsend: hurt last year and most of this year
4) Henry: Hurt
5) Tolliover: Hurt
6) Dalles: Hurt
7) Wirsch: Hurt
8) Harris: Unsigned last year
9) Berry: OK
10) Cowan: Hurt last year and this year

Overslots:
11) Ohlman: Minor nagging injuries warranted him being taken off roster. Hitting under Mendoza line.

22) Coffey: hurt and not recovering well from TJ surgury

Outcome: Delmarva is struggling badly. Frederick will likely struggle next year. We will have a major hole in our development system if these guys do not turn it on and quickly.


This many hurt players from the top of one draft class is just plain unacceptable.

Except that you can do nothing else but accept it. It should be noted that Ryan Berry's velocity is down a bit this year as well. Also, he's not gone more than 5 IP in any start at Frederick since his promotion. I wonder if they are just keeping his innings down or if there's a problem of some sort. Now that I've bolstered your opinion let me say this. We really need an in depth report on the injuries. Townsend, Dalles, and Givens are all expected back this season. Townsend and Dalles looked good in limited time and Givens didn't look overmatched. The injuries to Cowan and Henry are uknown so we don't know if they are minor or not. The injury to Wirsch is a pulled oblique which might take time but at least it's not an arm injury. Tolliver was rehabbing in Florida. Again we don't know how serious his injury was. The amount of injuries is scary. Until we know the severity of some of them, it's difficult to draw any conclusions on last year's draft. Jordan went out on a limb with Hobgood. Hobgood has done enough at Delmarva to keep taking his starts and getting his innings. The velocity is a concern. The weight is also a concern for me and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a correlation between the two. Bottom line, Hobgood needs to show more velocity somehwere, sometime (this year or next) to be considered a top prospect and worthy of the #5 pick last year. A lot of questions out there. Not too many answers right now.

[AVencill]

Except that you can do nothing else but accept it. It should be noted that Ryan Berry's velocity is down a bit this year as well. Also, he's not gone more than 5 IP in any start at Frederick since his promotion. I wonder if they are just keeping his innings down

Bolded part above is exactly it for Berry.

[clarence]

I keep getting more and more excited about the Hobgood selection.

[PBR Street Gang]

Not to turn this into a Jordan bashing thread, but weren't a lot of those guys from last year's draft coming off injuries when they were drafted?

[olehippi]

Not to turn this into a Jordan bashing thread, but weren't a lot of those guys from last year's draft coming off injuries when they were drafted?

Yep....and so are more than a few of this years draftees.

[Stotle]

Plenty 'round these parts were praising the O's and their draft selections last year. This is the other side of the coin when using this strategy. Regardless, way too early to start judging the class.

[QSII]

Townsend, Dalles, and Givens are all expected back this season.

I'd be surprised if Givens is back this season.

[aggie]

As if the organization needed more bad news, two highly touted pitchers will not actively break camp with short season clubs.

Cameron Coffey has struggled to recover from Tommy John surgery and shut himself down after "not feeling right". Coffey's velocity has peaked around 85-86 MPH and some believe he has a slow arm. Maybe that's because he's taking longer to heal but it's not good news no matter how you look at the situation.

Aaron Wirsch threw well in extended spring but he pulled an oblique muscle and will be held back until he heals.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Coffey's elbow is fine. It's his shoulder that has him with the ortho today. It is difficult to keep the shoulder strong when rehabing elbow. More later today.

[crowmst3k!]

I'm not completely sold on Hobgood, I'd rather have drafted a college-level SS like Grant Green. Even though the upside might not be there, it takes care of a huge immediate need. Time will tell with 2009.

[Three Run Homer]

Plenty 'round these parts were praising the O's and their draft selections last year. This is the other side of the coin when using this strategy. Regardless, way too early to start judging the class.

Aside from Coffey and Berry (who ironically is the only healthy one!) which of our higher-ceiling draftees last year had a significant injury history?

[Stotle]

Aside from Coffey and Berry (who ironically is the only healthy one!) which of our higher-ceiling draftees last year had a significant injury history?

Off the top of my head, Henry, Cowan and Johnson had significant injuries -- a couple others were considered less-than-durable from a build/frame standpoint.

But my larger point was actually about the larger draft strategy -- the injured players are only a cross section of that.