Mariners prospect Kyle Lewis is about to start playing again
The long rehab road is just about over for the Mariners’ top prospect.
Outfielder Kyle Lewis is scheduled to depart Sunday from extended spring training in Arizona to join either Hi-A Modesto or Lo-A Clinton, general manager Jerry Dipoto said.
Lewis is currently taking part in extended-spring games as the last phase in an 11-month his recovery from a major injury to his right knee. Club officials will determine which club Lewis will join later in the week.
Dipoto indicated the decision between Modesto and Clinton will hinge on Lewis’ sharpness at the plate in his final extended-spring games.
The Mariners selected Lewis, 21, in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft following his junior season at Mercer University. He won the Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the nation’s top college player.
Lewis batted .299 with three homers and 26 RBIs in 30 games at Short-A Everett before a July 19 collision at the plate against Tri-City (Padres) resulted in a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn medial and lateral meniscus.
The News Tribune cited Lewis as the organization’s top prospect in its preseason TNT Top 10 rankings. Baseball America also put Lewis atop its preseason list of the Mariners’ top prospects.
***Clinton is sending three players to the Midwest League All-Star Game on June 20 in Midland, Mich. Outfielder Anthony Jimenez, right-hander Brandon Miller and lefty Danny Garcia will be part of the Western Division team.
Jimenez, 21, is batting .298 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in 50 games. He is a Venezuelan native who was signed as a free agent in 2013.
Miller, 21, is 6-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 starts. He was picked in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Garcia, 23, is 5-4 with a 5.08 ERA in 11 games, including nine starts, He was a 16th-round selection in the 2016 draft.
Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners
This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Mariners prospect Kyle Lewis is about to start playing again."