Prospect Kelly recovering from surgery
PHOENIX - Antoine Kelly, the Milwaukee Brewers' second-best pitching prospect as ranked by the Journal Sentinel, will miss at least a portion of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery in the offseason.
The Brewers categorized the procedure – which occurred Nov. 5 – as pectoralis minor release surgery and first rib resection surgery.
More generally, it's referred to as thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and is done to address compressed blood vessels or nerves in the area of the collarbone and the first rib.
"It's a challenging surgery, but at the same time I think it's progressing well and everything is good in terms of his long-term prognosis of getting back on the field," farm director Tom Flanagan said Tuesday.
"That surgery, it's a bit more common – you didn't hear anything about it years back. We're just taking it week by week with him, seeing how he progresses, trying not to put timetables on him too much. It's more, ‘Hey, when he's right, we'll get him back.'
"But so far, everything's been positive with him and he's hanging in there. Obviously, frustrated not to be able to be 100% right now, but he's making his way back."
Kelly, 21, was Milwaukee's secondround draft pick in 2019, signing for $1,025,100. Possessing a fastball that routinely clocks in the high 90s, the lefthander pitched in 10 games in 2019 -nine in the rookie Arizona League before closing out with a three-inning outing at Class A Wisconsin. All told, he struck out 45 in 313⁄8innings.
With the 2020 minor-league season scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly was able to continue his development by pitching at the Brewers' alternate training site in Appleton. The 6foot-6, 205-pounder earned rave reviews there as well as at the team's fall instructional league in Arizona before alerting the team's medical staff that something was amiss.
Not long thereafter, Kelly was operated on by Dr. Gregory Pearl.
Flanagan was optimistic Kelly will pitch at some point this season. Assuming he does return he'd likely begin at Class A Carolina, which has flip-flopped levels with Wisconsin, now the Brewers' advanced Class A affiliate.
"At some point we'll have him out there again," Flanagan said. "We're just trying to stay away from timetables because of what we've heard about the surgery. It's natural to vary (in recovery time) for different guys.
"I think last year, the light kind of went on for him at the alternate site where he realized how good he is and how good he can still become. He's been a really solid worker for our guys. The rehab stuff, when they work with him, he does what they want him to do and he's been very open and honest with our staff in terms of how he's feeling as the rehab has gone on."
Another minor-league lefty in the system, Nathan Kirby, had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in April of 2019. Chosen 40th overall out of the University of Virginia by the Brewers in 2015, Kirby was once a highly touted left-hander like Kelly who signed for $1.25 million.
But after two Tommy John surgeries and the surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, he's pitched a total of 32 games and none since going 3-5 with a 4.94 earned run average for Carolina in 2018.
"Coming into camp last year he was ready to go and healthy but like everybody, it was really a tough year for him not having that normal minor-league season," Flanagan said. "I think it's really time for him to seize the moment.
"We're confident and he's confident that he's healthy, so we're going to come into minor-league camp here in a few days and get him into games and see what he can do and go from there. It's really more the competitive part now of getting on the mound to face hitters."
Kirby, who's eligible to become a minor-league free agent after the season, should be able to compete for a spot as a reliever with Class AA Biloxi.
Arcia headed for time share
Orlando Arcia has been the Brewers' starting shortstop, with just a few performance-related interruptions, since he came to the big leagues on Aug. 2, 2016. This season, however, the plan is for Arcia to split time at that position with Luis Urías while also getting action at third base behind Travis Shaw.
“That's how it looks to start,” manager Craig Counsell confirmed Tuesday.
With that in mind, Arcia has seen considerable action at third base in Cactus League play, with eight starts there covering 41 innings. Only Shaw has played there more, with 10 starts and 47 innings prior to his start Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
As might be expected for a player who never had played any position other than short, with the exception of four innings in center during a game last season, Arcia had some hiccups at third in the early going. Of late, however, he has looked much more comfortable.
“I think admittedly (by him) he was a little uncomfortable his first week or so there,” Counsell said. “Through practice and more innings in games, I think the play on the field has improved and his practice has improved. It's a comfort level.
“It's a player who's been at shortstop his whole life, so you knew there was going to be a little bit of a transition. But he's also really good at picking up a baseball (and doing what is asked). We anticipated that he would be able to make the transition.”
Counsell said Arcia's willingness and eagerness to try something new has been a big part of his improvement at third.
“It's a great trait that Orlando has and it's important for things like this, when there's change ahead of you and a little uncertainty ahead of you,” Counsell said. “(Optimism) is what lets you succeed in times like this. He's done a good job with it.”
Bombs away vs. Buehler
The Brewers roughed up Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler, who has tormented them in a couple of postseasons, in a 9-6 victory in Cactus League play. Keston Hiura, Christian Yelich and Omar Narváez blasted opposite-field home runs off Buehler in the first inning and Hiura did it again when he faced Buehler in the second.
In 42⁄3 innings, Buehler was tagged for 10 hits and nine runs.
"We had a nice day," Counsell said. "Keston had a nice day. Omar hit two balls really hard. (Buehler) is obviously one of the best, so it's a good day to build confidence (of hitters).
"The hitters all want to be in a good place rather than looking for it right now. At the same time, things change on the hitting end pretty quickly. We'll try to keep them going. Omar has had a really nice spring. The balls he hit today, just how hard he hit them was a great sign."
Brewers starter Corbin Burnes got off to a shaky start as well, surrendering a two-run blast by Justin Turner in the first inning off the batter's eye in center but recovered to turn in a positive outing (42⁄3 innings, three hits, two runs, two walks, six strikeouts).
“We were kind of fighting mechanics early on,” Burnes said of the first inning, which he escaped by getting Max Muncy to ground into a double play. “Timingwise, we were just kind of ahead of everything. It was good to get that doubleplay ball on the sinker down. That allowed us to kind of talk through the timing issue and figure some things out.
“It's good to have those stressful innings and the type of innings you have to work out of. You never want to have 18 perfect innings going into the regular season and not have any stressful innings. It's good to go out there, have some runners on and have to work through some stuff.
“We didn't throw many sliders today because we were trying to work on throwing some more curveballs. But we're in a good spot. The curveball is something we can figure our in the bullpen before the next spot.”
Jackie Bradley Jr. sat out for the second consecutive day with what Counsell said is "a little wrist soreness that we're being cautious with." He is expected to return to action in a few days.