BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Injuries delay growt hof former 1st-round selection
F OUR years later, the haze around Ian Clarkin still has not cleared. The talent and drawbacks, though, still are easy to spot.
This season has mirrored the lefty’s first few years in the Yankees’ system: He impresses until he can’t take the mound any longer.
Clarkin, a 22year-old out of San Diego, returned to High-A Tampa on Thursday following a disabled list stint that lasted three weeks. In three innings, he struck out five and allowed three hits and no runs, showing off his big-time curveball and low-90s fastball. In Clarkin’s first start since he experienced shoulder soreness, the crowd for the Tampa Yankees-Jupiter Hammerheads game included Vice President of Player Development Gary Denbo, a sign of how closely the franchise is watching its frustrating starter.
“I think he’s come along just fine,” Denbo said over the phone. “He’s got a chance to help us in the future in the starting rotation.”
That has been the hope since 2013, when Clarkin was part of a draft class that now looks like a watershed moment for the Yan- kees. Clarkin was pick 33, one selection after Aaron Judge — compensatory picks from the Yankees losing Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher, respectively, the previous offseason.
The Yankees’ true first-rounder in that draft was infielder Eric Jagielo, who had risen to Double-A Trenton before the Yankees made him the centerpiece of a trade that brought back Aroldis Chapman from the Reds.
In later rounds, the Yankees grabbed shortstop Tyler Wade and center fielder Dustin Fowler, two Triple-A weapons who look just about ready to contribute in the big leagues.
Clarkin, with mounting injuries, has become the draft’s wild card.
“He is a four-pitch starter, good riding life on his fastball, above-average curveball that he can throw any time and get swings and misses,” Denbo said of Clarkin, whose elbow cost him all of 2015 before a torn meniscus cut his 2016 season in half. “He uses it early in the count, he uses it to finish off hitters as well. It’s a good pitch he has that hitters have a difficult time making contact with.”
The most Clarkin has thrown in five minor league seasons is 98 innings, not yet graduating past High-A. But his stuff and stats always have stood out, with a lifetime ERA of 3.21. This season, he has struck out 28 in 32 ¹/3 innings, pitching to a 1.95 ERA.
“We’re going to play it by ear,” Denbo said regarding how many innings he envisions Clarkin tossing this year. “See how he progresses and how he feels. But we’re not going to put a limit on it right now.”
Denbo said the plan is to build Clarkin back up again. The question is whether the Yankees are running out of time. After this season, Clarkin will have been mired in the minors for five years, becoming eligible for the Rule 5 draft. If he can put together a healthy season and show progress, another team could take a flier on him.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are Rule 5 eligible after the season,” Denbo said. “It really doesn’t have any effect [on how we use Clarkin].
“We want him to stay healthy. We want him to keep working toward improving his fastball command like all of our starters are doing, and we’ll see what develops after the season in regards to Rule 5.”