Pirates top pick from '06 has possible ligament damage

[colbyjack]

Jim Callis from BA reports in the prospect blog that Brad Lincoln, the fourth overall pick from last year's draft, has "a forearm strain and irritation in his right elbow." Callis notes that this is often an early sign of ligament damage, which would of course mean TJ surgery for Lincoln.

 

www.baseballamerica.com/b...ects/?p=58

 

Not good news for the Pirates, who have been hit hard by injuries in recent years to their top pitching prospects, of which you can read a little bit about in some of the replies in the blog.

 

See, the Brewers aren't the only ones whose top pitching prospects have a knack for having their careers derailed by injuries. Tough luck, and while I won't shed a tear for the Pirates, it is a shame to see one of my favorite draft eligible prospects from a year ago face this latest setback.

[saget]

I read one of the comments

 

Quote:

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If Lincoln has surgery, that would extend a remarkable ? and regrettable ? run for the Pirates. In the past decade, five of the six pitchers they drafted in the first round before Lincoln ? Clint Johnston, Bobby Bradley, Sean Burnett, John Van Benschoten and Bryan Bullington ? have needed major arm surgeries

---

 

Yikes!

[DHonks]

and several of those were college arms. Remember last year when that Cards fan came on here complaining about them taking all of those college arms that keep breaking down?

[colbyjack]

That's a very good call DHonks, as I too remember the Cards fan complaining about the number of college pitchers that have broken down for them. Taking a college pitcher isn't as safe as many think it is.

[colbyjack]

An interesting distinction of success stories from top picks of the 2006 draft.

 

Brad Lincoln, the 4th overall pick (Pirates), is going to be shut down for the arm problems listed earlier in this thread.

 

Brandon Morrow, the 5th overall pick (Mariners) is starting the season with the big-league club after only 16 minor league innings.

 

Bad news for the Pirates, and while I can't say that's good news for the Mariners, because good things rarely happen when you rush prospects, it is very good news for Morrow. If the Ms intend to keep Morrow in the bullpen, he could flourish a la Chad Cordero and Huston Street, but then the debate opens about using the 5th overall pick on such a player.

[billyhallfan]

That's too bad for the Pirates, I used to live in Ohio during the time when the Indians were an A.L. Powerhouse and it was impossible to get tickets so we would go to the Pirates, and once they opened PNC , that was by far and still IMO the nicest place in baseball, it just seems like they can catch any luck, it is really too bad.

[colbyjack]

If it were the Brewers (and it has been in the past, and even present), we wouldn't be asking "when can they catch a break" as much as we would be asking "what are they doing wrong?"

 

The Pirates have had a pretty bad recent string of injuries to top prospects, which would make me wonder what the Pirates are doing wrong. You can't chalk it up entirely to bad luck. They really need to start making the right decision when it comes to their early picks, as they're losing far too many of them to the knife.