Starting last Thursday and continuing through the weekend, several key rehabilitation efforts appeared in senior levels of the minor leagues. Some may have a meaningful impact on the playoffs, while others are in trouble. I put on the eight pitchers below.
Shane Bieber and Alek Manoah, RHP, Toronto Bluebirds
Shane Bieber worked seven innings on Friday’s three-in-one recovery in April 2024 during his 15th month of Tommy John’s recovery. He seemed ready to approach his peak with the ability to reach his peak, or at least his recent, outstanding, grey-injured pre-peak capabilities. Since his three outings in Buffalo before the deadline, his fastball averaged 92-93 mph in three outings in Buffalo, while Bieber operated with surgical commanders, where he threw four of his shoes and cutter strikes with about 80% of the clips. His almost robotic precise slider commands allow that pitch to be generated comfortably, plus misses and chases. He’s Friday’s possibility against Miami seems ready.
Alek Manoah had an internal support smell of elbow reconstruction last year and had four rehabilitations, with the most recent match being a five-day break at Triple-A Buffalo. Compared to his 2024 look, Manoah’s fastball dropped about two tickings. He sat in 91-93, reaching 94 years old and struggling to strike during his senior outing. Manoah’s delivery has been significantly adjusted. His release point hasn’t changed a lot (only a few inches taller than last year, but slightly different), but his release method is slightly different. Manoah now has the elaborate gloves as if he is sharply trying to clean up the front side in a bigger explosion and explosion manner. The location of Manoah’s disconnected gloves has migrated northward for years, but is now in the new stratosphere. This is a collection of stills from every year of the past few years, and at this moment, Manoah’s gloves are at its peak:
His sliders still have good depth, but during these brief rehabilitation outings, the pitch is limited to intra-regional duties as Manoah has been working hard to lead the batsman with his fastball. Because of his current composition, he does not seem to contribute to the major league rotation.
Roki Sasaki, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Roki Sasaki seems to be far from the Dodgers’ major league roster as he took a flushable recovery outing in Oklahoma City on Thursday. Sasaki recovered from a shoulder injury, and it seems feasible that, like last year’s Yoshinobu Yoshinobu, rest and mechanical polish could at least get him to peak Velo again, which gave him breathing space on the fastball more breathing space than at the 93-96 MPH range earlier this year. Instead, Sasaki sat 93-94 again and struggled to find a strike zone. I interpret Sasaki’s 2024 slowdown as more than the start of the trend. He either needs to throw as hard as he did in his 20s or overhaul the fastball’s movements to make that ball work, and I hope he can do one or two after admission. Instead, his stuff was backed up further and he kept stomping on the water. At present, it is too early to be completely pessimistic and melancholy here, but this is not going well.
Robert Gasser, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Recall that the early rotation of the brewers was so bad that torpedo bats became an exaggerated topic of the zoo for a few days of mornings. If the swift and successful Robert Gasser returns from TJ, it seems like a mandatory second-half license plate, it can handle the brewers if they are to find a way to hold a seat at the playoff table in some way. Instead, they have other answers. The welcome of the players who scattered on the elves dust on Quinn Priester, Brandon Woodruff’s comeback from a serious injury has surprised the group so deep that Gasser broke down without injury, even if he looks healthy, and he’s back to Triple-A, with 50 more goals missing in his latest latest situation. The brewer shortened Gaser’s arm movements compared to last year, but his pitching method and the quality of his stuff both look comparable to the 2023-24 Gasser. He directed the lower uphill heaters and cutters of the 90s and then mixed them in slower, two-plane plays and occasional ball swaps. This is something that is effective and negated. Currently, the existing companies in the spin are pitching the way they are currently pitching 4/5 starters.
Kyle Bradish, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Comparison of the situation in Milwaukee vs. Baltimore. If the orioles were able to stay in the wildcard mixture, Kyle Bradish would be a huge addition to the late season. Instead, he returns to a team that has priorities for stretching is evaluating young players. Bradish threw 73 balls for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, and while it doesn’t look like he’s crushing the conditional part of his recovery, his stuff is completely back, which is really annoying. He sat 95-96 and ran into 98, and he always buried two broken balls in a seductive but untouchable position. His stuff is easy to be a Baltimore starter and he is ready to be the team’s No. 1 starter next year unless someone is added during the offseason.
Winston Santos and Jose Corniell, Texas RHPS
Both young pitchers were on the Texas 40 and missed most of the season due to injuries. Winston Santos has recovered from the stress response on his back since late April. He threw an inning innings against the Rangers Camp Friday against the Reds, mostly 97-98, breaking vertically through 17 to 21 inches, extending six and a half feet, as well as his usual short-term speed cutter/slider/slider and swaps. He looks healthy, but if he returns to the affiliate ball with the same rhythm as Jose Corniell, he still runs from stretching to three or more innings in about a month, which may mean Santos will wrap the year on Triple-A (the schedule lasts until late September) before heading to the Arizona Falls League.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d751lveiak
Conneill should be on the reader’s radar, which is a potential playoff call, whether it’s the Rangers at the “Scream” level in the wild card rankings and our playoff odds, they’re still in the playoffs. He threw four innings at Double-A Frisco on Saturday, and he hasn’t allowed to win the run since he activated from a complex level recovery. Corniell maintained his fastball speed in the mid-90s. He sat at 96, working four innings with breakthrough stuff at a time. He lacks the typical build and athletic ability of the mid-rotating anchor, but he causes a lot of strikes, and if he keeps throwing such strikes, there are two extra points. It seems likely that Connell will be promoted to Triple-A at some point, so he can also take advantage of the longer schedule of that level to catch the ball. If the Rangers fail, then I think Conneil will be in the fall league. But if they stay in the mix and Corniell continues to pitch well and extend it to five or more innings, he obviously might look like Texas’ fifth best starter for two to three weeks. To do this, I will notice that Connell and Patrick Corbin both made the ball on Saturday. Let’s see if they follow the same schedule again this week. I encountered Corniell’s FV level in this single point update; he moved upwards. 5 is 45 FV in the Rangers list.
Daniel Espino, RHP, Guardian of Cleveland
A scout source whose coverage of the Bridge Alliance led him to Goodyear to discover Daniel Espino, who works with one of the bullpen walls in the Guards’ facilities. Since then, I learned from another source that Espino has been throwing bullpens, but I don’t have a solid timeline for his return to the scene. It is reasonable for his schedule to align with the Arizona Fall League, but it is purely speculative. For those who are unpopular, Espino used to be the most important pitching prospect in the sport, but his career has suffered several serious injuries.
