Boardwalk Empire - 2046.3 - Gamblers' #4 Prospect Injured

[Joshua Biddle]

Gamblers' #4 Prospect SP Enrique López Suffers Torn Labrum

A little over a month after 2046 first round draft pick starting pitcher Kevin Shepard, went down for the season with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, highly-touted right-handed starting pitching prospect Enrique López was pulled in the second inning of his start over the Milwaukee Choppers with an injury. Further tests would ultimately determine the injury to be a torn labrum, which will sideline López through the remainder of the season with a high likelihood of impacting his 2047 plan.

López, 22, was drafted by the Gamblers with the 6th pick of the 7th round (237th overall) of the 2042 BBA Amateur Draft, and has ascended through the Gamblers' system quickly. He is ranked as the Gamblers' #4 prospect, the #39 BBA prospect, and was expected to join the Gamblers' rotation in mid-to-late 2046, or 2047 at the latest. Prior to his injury while pitching for Class-AAA Brooklyn, López was 3-10 with a 4.21 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, a 4.43 FIP, a .223 opponents' average, a .706 opponents' OPS, 92 strikeouts, and a 0.4 WAR in 126 innings pitched (21 starts). The numbers represented a decline from his 2045 performance with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished the season 2-6 with a 3.63 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, a 3.22 FIP, a .227 opponents' average, a .651 opponents' OPS, 60 strikeouts, and a 1.5 WAR in 11 starts. His performance dip had made it more likely he would pitch for the full season in Brooklyn - with a likely promotion in September to get a taste of big league action - but the injury will keep out of Atlantic City for the foreseeable future.

After struggling with Rookie Class Albany in 2042 (6.41 ERA / 1.96 WHIP in 39 1/3 IP), he pitched successfully out of the Albany bullpen during the 2043 season, which earned a promotion to Class-A Long Island for 2044. It was his 2044 season with Class-A Long Island that put him on the charts, finishing the season 11-6 with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, a 3.12 FIP, a .234 opponents' average, a .640 opponents' OPS, 139 strikeouts, and a 4.8 WAR in 140 2/3 innings pitched (25 starts).

López's injury will keep him out of action through what is projected to be mid-June 2047. It's expected at that point, presuming successful rehab, that he would re-join Class-AAA Brooklyn. Depending on his performance and the Gamblers' needs, it's possible he could get a shot with the Gamblers in 2047, though it is no longer the near certainty that it was going into the 2046 season.