Angels outfield prospect Brandon Marsh is battling a left elbow strain that could keep him out all spring and possibly into the season, according to manager Joe Maddon (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). Marsh suffered the injury while trying to make a diving catch last Sunday, but the good news is that it’s to his non-throwing elbow.
Even if healthy, Marsh wouldn’t have been in position to make the Angels’ Opening Day roster, but this is still a disappointing development for him and the team. The 22-year-old has emerged as one of baseball’s top farmhands since the Angels selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. MLB.com ranks Marsh as the 79th-best prospect in the sport and notes that he has an opportunity to debut in the majors sometime during the upcoming season.
So far, Marsh hasn’t even made it to the Triple-A level, and this injury will only make it more difficult for him to get to the majors in the near term. Marsh, though, was impressive last year in his first taste of Double-A ball, where he batted .300/.383/.428 with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases in 412 plate appearances. It remains to be seen when or if he’ll emerge as a major league option for the Angels, however, considering the team’s loaded outfield picture. The Angels have the best player in baseball, center fielder Mike Trout, another proven veteran in left fielder Justin Upton and an elite prospect who’s nearing the majors in Jo Adell as the most prominent outfielders in the organization.
mlb1225
Oh god, the injury bug for the Angels is already starting. May God have mercy on the rest of the players.
larry48
Angels have no depth, that why they suck each year and why injury bud. Every team has injuries most teams have depth but angels don’t.
jdodson1822
The article just said how the angels have a surplus of OF. That’s probably the position they have the most depth along with infielders
sufferforsnakes
I didn’t see where it said they have a surplus. Granted, they have starters, but after that?
Halo11Fan
Suffer,
Goodwin, Adell, Fletcher, Trout, Ward, Upton. Even Jared Walsh can play outfield.
How much depth do you expect teams to have?
sufferforsnakes
Does it say that in the article above, though? 🙂
Halo11Fan
Suffer,
That the Angels have outfield depth….
…”.however, considering the team’s loaded outfield picture.”
So, yes. I think so. The Angels have positional player depth. They even have some depth in their rotation. What they don’t have is top of the rotation starters. starting pitching health, and catching depth
jdodson1822
Don’t forget Hermosillo. Brennon Lund played 96 games at AAA last year and can fill in at all 3 position along with Jose Rojas who played a little LF in AAA
Halo11Fan
Larry is another person that doesn’t know anything about the Angles.
sufferforsnakes
Like……how to spell Angels?
Halo11Fan
Fair enough.
But I know that LaStella, Rengifo, Goodwin and Fletcher were all depth pieces last year.
Their first 2000 depth piece plate appearances wasn’t this teams problem.
andrewgauldin
Just don’t trade him. Hopefully he is back on the field soon and rakes at AAA. If Upton struggles, an outfield of Trout/Marsh/Adell would look pretty sick.
angels24
If Upton has a bounce back year and we are contending for a playoff spot, would it be smart to trade Marsh for a front of the line starter at the deadline? Maybe with a year or 2 of control?
bkbk
If Marsh translates his fall league power to AAA and Clevinger comes back, Marsh would be good enough to headline a package Id bet. Hes already creeping into the top 30 on some lists and Keith Law called him a legit potential star.
Javia
Indians have been asking for the world in a trade for Clevinger. They were asking for Adell plus for him weren’t they? It would take a whole lot more than just Marsh to get Clevinger, or any TOR really.
Vizionaire
marsh would be the centerfielder for the angels centerfielder after trout’s eventual move to corner.
Vizionaire
and clevinger is no ace material!
oscar gamble
I respectfully disagree. Clevinger is ace material.
MrAngelFan
Clevinger is one of only 2 starting pitchers that has had an ERA+ of 140 or greater in the past 3 seasons. It is quite obvious that he is ace material.
Tim Stewart
Clevinger is needs surgery now so he will be out awhile this year good thing they didn’t trade for him in Jan.
Halo11Fan
Clevinger is an Ace, but he has to pitch.
Bad knee, bad back and only once has gotten more than 130 innings.
He’s also 29. Which would make him the oldest starter on the Angels staff.
DTD_ATL
Someone doesn’t know much about the game if they think Clevinger isn’t an ace
johndietz
He’s not an Ace! He’s had one injury free season. He really hasn’t proven anything yet. He’s a good pitcher when he’s healthy. Let’s not forget, he’s in Cleveland because the Angels traded him there. We had him, we traded him. He’s not the answer.
Halo11Fan
DTD_ATL,
It’s hard to be an ace if you have only thrown 130 innings once in your career. He’s 29, and 130 innings seems like a reasonable projection this year.
How many innings do you think he’s going to pitch?
Aces pitch more innings. He’s an Ace and can be an Ace are two different things.
Indiansjoe
He doesn’t need surgery and is only expected to miss a couple weeks at the beginning of the season with a shot to be ready for opening day. No marsh isn’t close to enough for Clevinger. But feel free to make up what ever narrative that makes you feels better….lol.
Halo11Fan
Joe,
Marsh is not enough for Clevinger… agreed.
But Clevinger had surgery. He has already missed time with a bad back. He now has a bad back, a wild motion, surgery on his landing leg, is 29 years old and has only once pitched over 130 innings.
People talk about him like he’s Walker Buehler. He’s not.
hockeyjohn
Clevinger is due back in mid April. It would take much more than Marsh to get him. Clevinger is a TOR pitcher with 3 years of control. Of course, it will cost a lot to acquire him. With that said, he is not going anywhere, but in Cleveland’s rotation for the start of the 2020 season.
brandons-3
I don’t know what the starting pitching market could entail as there aren’t many bonafide TOR guys available at first glance. I guess you could throw Stroman, Syndergaard, Archer, and some others in there as possibilities if they have healthy, bounceback campaigns. If the bottom falls out for New York, maybe deGrom could be floated. Perhaps it would make sense for the Rangers to flip Kluber and/or Minor if their season falls by the wayside. I’m sure Boston might be willing to get out from under the Sale deal if possible.
Then again, all or most of those names won’t be available and none are likely to move. Too many moving parts and what-if’s to find out who MIGHT be available in five months.
andrewgauldin
Might be smart in many peoples eyes. I have no evidence to provide in this, but I just feel Marsh is gonna become something very very special. And I would hate to see it on a different team. So go ahead and trade Jeremiah Jackson and whoever else. But I would like to keep Marsh.
Vizionaire
me 2!
larry48
dought full, maybe 500 trade owner killed is looking worse every day.
KENNETH A LICHTIG
…pretty slick?
Ninth 3 Year Plan
Too bad the Joc/Stripling trade fell thru, that OF would look pretty decent assuming Upton is himself while allowing for there young stud OF’s to get more seasoning & more team control 😉 .
Would need an RH platoon partner to pair with Joc but that’s doable.
MrAngelFan
Angels are going to do the same as all teams do. Wait at least 15 days before they call up Adell so they can retain an extra year of control. I would like to have Stripling as he would be an upgrade and have added depth. Wiith Ohtani playing full time at DH to start the season and Adell coming up soon, Joc may not have had a position to play.
cookmeister 2
I don’t think Adell comes up for at least the first two months. He barely played in AAA last year, no reason to rush him with an already strong lineup. Goodwin will be fine.
MrAngelFan
I am guessing a month, but it depends on spring training and how well he starts in AAA. . Adell has already spent more time than Trout at AAA. A lot of times you find teams have their better pitchers in AA when your AAA affiliate is in the PCL.
Halo11Fan
Pederson would not have had a position to play. I would have loved to have Stripling, Pederson would have been problematic.
Ward deserves a chance. Adell can’t stay in the PCL and is coming up by May 1st.
Vizionaire
facts don’t ever matter to trolls.
OntariGro
Pederson/Goodwin would have been a perfect RF platoon ’til Adell’s arrival. If Joc does Joc, he could have stayed on as 4th OF/insurance if the kid struggles or been part of a package for pitching help if the Angels somehow found their way into contention.
Fair enough on Ward, but had the Joc/Stripling trade gone through, finding playing time for him would not have been super high on my list, personally.
cookmeister 2
Always sucks seeing a guy get hurt leaving his feet. Was excited to see him play this spring, but shouldn’t really impact his timetable. Wasn’t expecting him to be fast tracked with all of the OFers anyways. Hopefully a quick recovery so he can play the rest of the year
HalosHeavenJJ
Marsh looks like the lead off man of the future. And a solid defender.
Marsh, Trout, Adell would turn a lot of balls into outs.
Vizionaire
oooo!
darkstar61
Unfortunately, it’s more surprising when hearing Marsh isn’t battling some injury. Guy needs a personal MASH unit
Halo11Fan
This is not a bad thing. You don’t want Marsh in the PCL for very long. When Trout came up, then went back down, they moved him to AA.
Marsh should not make this team until 2021 anyway. Ward deserves a chance as a part time player. Adell will be up three weeks after the season starts.
This is not a bad thing.
Reycoti1
Angels 2021
Marsh CF
Trout RF
Adell LF
Upton 4thOF/BD
Ohtani SP/BD
Vizionaire
upton can’t be a 4th outfield because he can barely play lf. and i doubt trout goes to a corner that early.
Halo11Fan
Upton was barely able to play LF with one leg. He’s Brantley out there. We have detailed stats, we know exactly how good Upton is. Every batted ball event is measured.
Two years ago, here are the LF either +1 or -1 from Upton.
Pederson, Span, Teoscar Hernandez, Brantley, Juan Soto,
Providing Upton can move, he’s adequate.
Vizionaire
upton has always been a below average defender. he is in no way capabl of playing cf or rf. it was eppler’s fault extending him.
Halo11Fan
Trout is going to play CF as long as he wants to play CF.
Upton will be 33 next year, he’ll be the LF. Eventually Adell will move to LF.
californiaangels
I like him more then Adell, way higher floor and still a very high ceiling
SportsFan0000
Sell high in Brandon Marsh.
Trade him to the Tigers with other prospects for LHSP Matthew Boyd
MLB.com wrote piece ” dark horse Candidates for y Ypung Award”…
Boyd is #2 on their list.
Boyd could put the Angels firmly in the AL West playoffs chase…
SportsFan0000
2020 Cy Young Award dark horses
mlb.com/news/2020-cy-young-award-dark-horses