Keston Hiura [Promoted to AA 5/31/18]

[markedman5]

Friday's Mudcats game --

 

Keston Hiura collected two triples and a home run, drove in two and scored twice. Dallas Carroll chipped in two hits, scored a run, and drove in one.

[narwhalattack]

It’s so nice to see a first round pick do so well right out of the gate for once. I hope he continues doing well.

[3and2Fastball]

Brewers are starting him out in A+ ball this spring, right?

[FVBrewerFan]

Brewers are starting him out in A+ ball this spring, right?

 

Right. See the Mudcats Roster thread....

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Well, might need to pump the brakes on the Hiura hype machine:

 

@AdamMcCalvy

11m11 minutes ago

More

A helpful heads up from Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan — Keston Hiura will do a lot of DH duty early in the season. After a heavy dose of second base in spring training, he had minor elbow discomfort on some specific throws, so the organization is being extra cautious.

 

I don't like the sound of this. At all.

[paul253]

Honestly if TJ was even a possibility last season they should have just done it. They screwed Taylor Williams for two whole seasons by trying

to avoid TJ surgery, something he eventually needed anyway. As much as I liked Hiura’s hitting potential, I just hate the idea of taking someone with injury concerns and then not doing what is needed to be done to fully fix those issues. It sounds like Flanagan is trying to downplay the issue but elbow discomfort is elbow discomfort. I just hope they don’t try the ole “we hope it’ll work ” treatment until July and then go thru with TJ. Like I said if TJ is a possibility and will fully fix the issue just get it over with it.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Honestly if TJ was even a possibility last season they should have just done it. They screwed Taylor Williams for two whole seasons by trying

to avoid TJ surgery, something he eventually needed anyway. As much as I liked Hiura’s hitting potential, I just hate the idea of taking someone with injury concerns and then not doing what is needed to be done to fully fix those issues. It sounds like Flanagan is trying to downplay the issue but elbow discomfort is elbow discomfort. I just hope they don’t try the ole “we hope it’ll work ” treatment until July and then go thru with TJ. Like I said if TJ is a possibility and will fully fix the issue just get it over with it.

 

Agree completely. If he gets it done soon, he could theoretically come back sometime next year no worse for the wear. Only thing I can figure is that he is viewed by the team as a prime trade chip this year, and that goes out the window as soon as he goes under the knife.

[jerichoholicninja]

Isn't having TJ why he DH'd his senior year of college?

[pacopete4]

Good thing we have Villar then.

 

On a serious note, I really hope they really take care of this kid because he has a special bat.

[paul253]

Isn't having TJ why he DH'd his senior year of college?

 

I don’t think he ever had TJ. He just had the injury that prevented him from throwing.

[TJseven7]

Horrible news. I wanted TJ immeduately, its a shame the elbows still bothering him. We need him up in the majors pronto. Any hurt prospect, I want surgery immediately.

[jerichoholicninja]

Isn't having TJ why he DH'd his senior year of college?

 

I don’t think he ever had TJ. He just had the injury that prevented him from throwing.

 

Found this in pre-draft scouting report:

 

His current elbow injury is bad enough that he’s been strictly a DH since last summer. Hiura attempted to avoid Tommy John surgery by receiving a plasma platelet injection this past winter, but it is unclear if the procedure worked or merely postponed the inevitable. The good news is that the elbow pain hasn’t impacted his hitting at all.

[StearnsFTW]

Well, might need to pump the brakes on the Hiura hype machine:

 

@AdamMcCalvy

11m11 minutes ago

More

A helpful heads up from Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan — Keston Hiura will do a lot of DH duty early in the season. After a heavy dose of second base in spring training, he had minor elbow discomfort on some specific throws, so the organization is being extra cautious.

 

I don't like the sound of this. At all.

 

Eh. If he DHs this year and needs surgery in the offseason I don't think it's the end of the world. Not ideal of course but not that big of a deal.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Isn't having TJ why he DH'd his senior year of college?

 

I don’t think he ever had TJ. He just had the injury that prevented him from throwing.

 

Found this in pre-draft scouting report:

 

His current elbow injury is bad enough that he’s been strictly a DH since last summer. Hiura attempted to avoid Tommy John surgery by receiving a plasma platelet injection this past winter, but it is unclear if the procedure worked or merely postponed the inevitable. The good news is that the elbow pain hasn’t impacted his hitting at all.

 

So we have a kid with a bum elbow that we are going to try to limp along playing DH, a position he cannot play with the parent club. Awesome!

 

Just get him to Dr. Andrews and get it done with.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Well, might need to pump the brakes on the Hiura hype machine:

 

@AdamMcCalvy

11m11 minutes ago

More

A helpful heads up from Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan — Keston Hiura will do a lot of DH duty early in the season. After a heavy dose of second base in spring training, he had minor elbow discomfort on some specific throws, so the organization is being extra cautious.

 

I don't like the sound of this. At all.

 

Eh. If he DHs this year and needs surgery in the offseason I don't think it's the end of the world. Not ideal of course but not that big of a deal.

 

You are then wasting a year of the kid's career. That is a big deal. The bat is arguably ML ready. He isn't going to gain anything DHing at A+ and AA for a year. The only way is makes any sense to keep him active, if he truly does need TJ surgery, is as a trade chip for this season.

[StearnsFTW]

No you're not. Surgery September 1 (say) ready probably May 1 to DH throwing by July 1? These are guesses of course.

 

And, yes, he's gaining plenty DHing at A+ and AA for a year. He's learning to hit higher-level pitchers.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I’ve seen him in drills and a little in spring training games. He is not very good in the field whether he throws the ball or not. He makes Ryan Braun look like a gold glover. He can hit and hit a lot. I just don’t know where the Brewers can hide him in the field.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

No you're not. Surgery September 1 (say) ready probably May 1 to DH throwing by July 1? These are guesses of course.

 

And, yes, he's gaining plenty DHing at A+ and AA for a year. He's learning to hit higher-level pitchers.

 

I think your timeline is very optimistic. I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree. I say if the kid's elbow is broke, get it fixed. There is no use prolonging it. Do it now, and he's playing 2B full time in 2019 and looking at possible 2019 MLB time. Wait, and you won't see him at Miller Park till at least 2020-21.

[StearnsFTW]

Yep. Agree to disagree, no biggie. I wasn't sure about the timeline, but he's a 2b.

[MrTPlush]

I’ve seen him in drills and a little in spring training games. He is not very good in the field whether he throws the ball or not. He makes Ryan Braun look like a gold glover. He can hit and hit a lot. I just don’t know where the Brewers can hide him in the field.

 

I saw him field with the T-Rats towards the end of last season during practice getting easy grounders towards him...I can confirm your analysis. When I saw him it looked like he was suppose to be backhanding them for practice...wow him just getting his glove on the ball was an accomplishment.

[paul253]

The only way is makes any sense to keep him active, if he truly does need TJ surgery, is as a trade chip for this season.

 

An injury like this would severely limit his trade value. If he even passes a physical other teams would be hesitant to trade for a guy who might need TJ.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I posted something similar in the 2B transactions thread, but let's back off the ledge a bit - at least for a little while. This could be normal fatigue and discomfort while Hiura is building armstrength after taking 1+ years off from throwing a baseball and going through an entire MLB Spring training without needing to back off any fielding/throwing drills. If this is a precautionary thing where he's back on the field a few weeks from now, it's a minor blip. If by Memorial Day Hiura is still DHing 90% of the time and unable to play in the field everyday due to the arm issues, by all means get the procedure done ASAP and get him started on rehabbing before you wind up wasting a full year of development defensively.

[Greenleaf1]

Kinda seems like Hiura might end up taking the Francisco Mejia route if he lives up to expectations, where his bat is major league ready long before his defense and he gets held up in AAA for a bit to work on that even though he's major league ready at the plate. Being restricted to DH might only make this worse, and I wonder how likely they would be to move him up multiple levels this year if he's not playing 2B no matter how well he's hitting.

 

Or maybe he'll take it easy for 2 weeks and go back to tearing the cover off the ball while playing passable defense and we'll forget all about this.

 

Luckily TJ isn't as big of a deal for a guy that throws from the right side of the infield to 1st base.

[Never Outhustled]

Are people really suggesting TJ surgery for a player who doesn't have a torn UCL? What's the plan, cut it during surgery, then replace it?

 

I love Hiura, but calm down people. He's no more big league ready after a big spring than Lucas Erceg was last year. How did Erceg's year turn out? Hiura had a 850 OPS in the Midwest League last year. He didn't get 4 levels better in the off season.

 

I really hope Hiura can be another Braun, but that's asking a ton. On the Braun timeline, Hiura wouldn't see AAA this year.

[paul253]

Are people really suggesting TJ surgery for a player who doesn't have a torn UCL? What's the plan, cut it during surgery, then replace it?

 

I don’t think anyone suggested that. We suggested TJ if TJ would solve the problem.