Reliever Jacob Lindgren Placed on DL with Elbow Injury

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Jacob Lindgren, the Yankees second round pick in the 2014 draft, was placed on the disabled list by the High-A Tampa Yankees Saturday with an undisclosed elbow injury. It’s been a disappointing start to the year for Lindgren, who went from an early favorite to break camp in the New York bullpen to being demoted in the first round of roster cuts in spring training. Ranked the 11th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, Lindgren missed the second half of 2015 following elbow surgery in June.

 He was never known for having strong control, but it’s been abysmal in the last two months. Lindgren walked nine batters and hit one in his seven innings of work for Tampa. A lingering issue with his elbow would be a welcome explanation for his struggles. Lindgren’s pure stuff has been as good as advertised since the team drafted him. He combines a mid-90’s heater with an absolutely filthy wipeout slider. The only thing holding him back from becoming a late inning option for New York is his control.

 The team hasn’t released any information as to the extent of the injury, but hopefully this is not another TJ surgery. Four prominent Yankees’ MiLB arms have suffered torn UCLs in the past month, including Nick Rumbelow, Branden Pinder, Domingo German, and Ty Hensley.