2036/1 A String of Bad Luck
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2018 1:51 pm
Poor Juan Trujillo. On April 1, 2034 Juan was named the 27th best prospect in the BBA. He could throw four pitches anywhere the catcher asked him. His heat was triple digits, albeit straight. His offspeed stuff didn't break a whole lot, but when you go from 100 MPH to 80 MPH it can fool even the best hitter. Then it happened, on Oct 17, 2034 he ruptured his UCL, the classic Tommy John injury. "I don't know where to go from here", Trujillo said at the time. "I know guys have come back even better, so that's my goal. But I'm crushed". At that point, the then 21 year old hurler was just a kid making the jump from AA to AAA. He did really well too.
Juan made his comeback in 2035 in AAA. He made six starts and had a 2.65 ERA in 34 innings. His usual control was there, his pitches seemed to have a little more zip, his movement suffered. "I was determined to show that I can pitch, even if my ball is straight. Try to hit me", Trujillo said. Juan made five starts in the winter league and carried a 3.99 ERA. In February he joined Venezuela in the World Cup of Baseball. He never threw for them though, as he went through assorted back issues. In March he strained his oblique, five days later he had some elbow soreness. Spring training rolled around and he did ok, enough to earn a spot in the rotation in Hawaii.
Things were rocky from the start. Assorted back issues caused him to miss starts in April. He made five starts, only covering around 20 innings. Then on May 1st, it happened. A second UCL rupture. Could this be it? Surgery went well. Doctors estimate he'll miss 16 months. That's a long time for a pitcher to sit and wait. The now 23 year old has kept a positive outlook. "I'll be back. I owe it to this franchise for sticking with me through all of this. Don't count me out", he said. Will he be back? Most outsiders seem to think he won't. If he is, he won't be the pitcher he was. One thing is for sure, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.