As we move through the draft season, the progress that injured hitters make is key to their development. One such way to discover their health is to see how they perform at Spring Training. In-game situations and usage will be an integral way to understand how healthy they might be come Opening Day. It will be important to see how a player is used, any workload restrictions, days off, and even how they are performing on the field. In doing so, we will be given a clearer indication of a player’s development whereas right now their future might be cloudy. Here are some hitters to watch come Spring Training.
Injured Hitters to Monitor in Spring Training
Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres
At the very end of the 2023 season, Manny Machado decided to have surgery on his ailing elbow. Officially diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis, it is a condition more commonly known as tennis elbow, and something that he has been living with for the past two seasons. He waited until the end of the 2023 season to have the operation because the Padres were still in contention for a playoff spot.
Manny Machado had right elbow extensor tendon repair surgery Tuesday and has an estimated recovery time of four to six months, the San Diego Padres announced. pic.twitter.com/oqWtWxneKT
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 4, 2023
With an estimated timeline of four to six months, Machado’s return looks bound to run into the start of Spring Training. With pitchers and catchers for the Padres reporting on February 11 (earlier than most teams) and Spring Training games starting two weeks after that, a lot needs to go right for Machado even to have a chance of playing.
Since the operation, Machado has gone on record more than once to say that he feels great physically. However, there was a report in January stating that he might not be ready to play defense when the season begins, leading to some speculation that his debut could be delayed. That being said, he played all of his games in September as the team’s designated hitter and still hit .321 with five home runs.
It will be interesting to see how Machado performs once the Padres begin Spring Training. If he is back to his old elite self at the plate, then it will likely be just a matter of time before when he is comfortable throwing a baseball. Something else to remember too: he’s been playing through this injury for quite some time. Chances are that he comes back really strong at the plate and is one of the league’s best players. Still, with the likes of an off-season surgery, seeing is believing.
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Kansas City Royals
Vinnie Pasquantino entered the 2023 season with high hopes. After a very successful half-season in 2022, the belief was that he would take the next step forward in his development and become one of the game’s best first-basemen. Instead, he started slow and wound up playing just 61 games because of an injured shoulder.
Vinnie Pasquantino had successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. We wish him the best in his recovery and look forward to him being fully healthy for next season! pic.twitter.com/MHQuViKvw5
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 21, 2023
The good news for him and the Royals is that he’s looked good all off-season. There have been many videos on social media showing the progress that Pasquantino has made. There has been visual evidence of him hitting in the cages, doing defensive drills on the field, and taking groundballs. While it can be dangerous to take all of these at face value since players are always going to hype up their health, it’s still something to consider. He originally had a 3-6 month timeline for recovery, and the start of Spring Training is well beyond that date. Furthermore, there have been no reported setbacks, which leads one to believe that he is and will be ready.
Back at it 😏 pic.twitter.com/3tMgwb0s3X
— Vinnie Pasquantino (@VPasquantino) October 27, 2023
Pasquantino still needs to come into Spring Training and put together everything that he’s been practicing. The hope is that his slow start to 2023 was due to this shoulder acting up. If we see him hitting the ball hard and making defensive plays this spring, that is a very good sign. If he is slow out of the gate, then there’s the possibility that his shoulder is still tender or is having difficulty stretching itself out. All that being said, the cold weather at the beginning of the season may also come into play with a potentially slow start to the regular season, which could create a great opportunity to buy low on him.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Outfielder, Miami Marlins
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of the best players in the game….when healthy. He has missed a lot of time over his four-year career, yet has always found a way to hit for double-digit home runs and steals. Still, he’s only eclipsed 500 plate appearances once, and in 2023 he missed time with multiple injuries. His off-season surgery for turf toe was another chapter in his ongoing story of ailments.
#Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. posted on his Instagram story today that surgery to repair turf toe on his right foot was successful. Chisholm dealt with the turf toe injury since mid-May. pic.twitter.com/MswNSxJOw1
— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) October 10, 2023
Despite the operation, Chisholm Jr. has had quite an active off-season. He was spotted at a Miami Dolphins game walking around in shoes. He also saw action playing a game with friends and euro-stepping his way home, which requires body-weight shifting from foot to foot. Finally, he posted a video of himself hitting home runs, which displays his ability to transfer weight from one foot to the other.
#Marlins Centerfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. hitting some absolute bombs in live BP, per his IG pic.twitter.com/4q6Zq92FkA
— Jonathan (@JonAndersen_5R) January 4, 2024
The one thing that we haven’t seen this offseason is his speed. Chisholm Jr. finished the season in the 77th percentile of Sprint Speed, even though he’d been playing through this injury since the middle of May. If he can come into camp and not only be aggressive on the base paths but also track down balls in the outfield, then it would be almost certain that he’s back fully from this injury. Being drafted as one of the top outfielders, he will need to prove that he’s worth that selection and that he can be the five-category player everyone has hoped he’d be for years.
Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
It’s hard to believe, but Oneil Cruz hasn’t eclipsed the 100 games played mark in his career. After 98 games played, he has nineteen home runs and thirteen steals, showing what type of player he could be if given the chance with health. Instead, he injured himself on a late slide, causing him to have surgery for a fractured fibula and syndesmosis.
Oneil Cruz had surgery last evening at Allegheny General Hospital by Dr. Greg Altman and Dr. Darren Frank. The surgery stabilized the fractured fibula and addressed the injury to the syndesmosis.
We anticipate a return to action in 4 months.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 10, 2023
Unfortunately, that anticipated return never happened and he missed the rest of the season. Cruz suffered some setbacks in the summer, and, with the Pirates out of contention, they decided to shut him down and not take any chances. Early in the off-season, it was announced that Cruz was at 100% and that he planned to play in the Dominican Winter League. While that hasn’t yet transpired, he has played in instructional league games with apparently impressive results.
Oneil Cruz has appeared in instructional league games in the Dominican Republic, Derek Shelton said. Shelton: “Watching his at-bats made me smile.”
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 4, 2023
While Cruz has also been seen exercising, the lack of gameplay is somewhat concerning. Despite the team being out of contention, playing in some late-season games likely would have given fans some peace of mind knowing that he was okay. Even by not playing the in Dominican Winter League leaves some guesswork as to why he is not out there. While the team is once again very cautious, it’s almost time to throw caution out the window. With Spring Training right around the corner, it will be imperative to see Cruz handle at-bats and play in the field. If he can do so near or at the rate we’re used to seeing, then it would appear that he is back.
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