Feature Photo: Parker Bridwell, RHP, Orioles
Avoiding Tommy John surgery is always a good thing, so in that regard receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections can sometimes be viewed as a positive approach to healing an arm. But elbow pain following a PRP injection isn’t exactly a good sign for pitching prospects, as a lack of response to PRP injections can potentially lead to the dreaded TJ surgery- and another lost season. Luckily for Baltimore Orioles prospect Parker Bridwell, he may be one of those cases where a PRP injection did its job – and it has him back on the field in 2016 looking good.
Bridwell had his PRP injection in August, shutting down his season after 18 starts and 97 innings pitched at Double-A Bowie. He attended the Orioles off-season mini-camp last week and was throwing off the mound. And the injection hasn’t prevented him from progressing with normal off-season workouts, reported Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun last week.
Drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Bridwell has already spent six seasons as an Oriole, taking a methodical route through their farm system, yet progressing only as high as Double-A in the process. Being healthy, and recently added to the Orioles 40-man roster this winter, are significant accomplishments for the 24-year-old right-hander, who has long been among the more highly touted pitching prospects in the Orioles system, despite on-field performances that have consistently fallen short of his raw ability.
Despite having his health back, Bridwell still has work to do before he can help the Orioles at the major league level. “He still needs to make improvements with his mechanics to help his below-average control,” one American League scout told me last week. His numbers, specifically his walk rate, support this assessment. Though Bridwell posted the best walk rate of his career in 2015, his command within the zone still got him in trouble.
Bridwell has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter, but the mechanical inconsistencies seen in the minors, if not improved, could also lead to a projection for a bullpen role down the road. “He’s a reliever to me,” said the same scout in our discussion. If the Orioles decide to go that route, it could potentially allow him to contribute to the major league club towards the end of 2016. If they remain dedicated to developing him as a potential starter, however, it seems clear that he’s not on the immediate horizon of major league production.
Regardless of his potential role, being healthy – and avoiding having his elbow cut open – is significantly positive news for a player who is 24 and has struggled to gain traction moving through the O’s system. It’s also welcome news for an organization that has already dedicated six years of resources towards his development – and desperate for pitching.
While a return to Double-A Bowie could be in the cards to prove his health and rebuild arm strength, its likely that he’ll spend most of 2016 in Triple-A Norfolk, hoping to build on the progress he made in his shortened 2015 campaign.
