SF Giants share concerning injury update with top pitching prospect

SF Giants pitching prospect Blade Tidwell was pitching his way into the rotation this year, but that plan could be halted. According to John Shea of The San Francisco Standard, Tidwell is set to undergo an MRI after experiencing a shoulder issue in a recent bullpen session.

SF Giants share concerning injury update with top pitching prospect

Shea adds that Tidwell is not expected to pitch for a while. The regular season for the Sacramento River Cats concludes on September 21, so time could be quickly running out for a return.

There was an opportunity for another pitcher to crack the Giants' rotation, with Landen Roupp's injury and Kai-Wei Teng's struggles. Tidwell likely would have been the next pitcher up.

The conversation is on hold for now. Giants acquired Tidwell, along with Drew Gilbert and José Buttó, in a deal that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets.

At the time of the deal, this looked like a god trade for both sides. The Mets acquired one of the better relievers in baseball, and the Giants added a trio of players who could help them out in the near term.

With three weeks now in the rearview mirror, that deal started to look even more favorable for the Giants. Tidwell pitched to a 1.69 ERA with 23 strikeouts and only five walks in 16 innings with the Sacramento River Cats.

The right-handed pitcher has a starter's pitch mix, including a mid-90's fastball, an upper 80's slider, a low 80's sweeper, and a mid 80's changeup. He also throws an occasional cutter and curveball. However, his stuff had played down due to below-average control.

Since joining the Giants organization, the control has not been an issue. And, it could be due to a change in pitch mix. Tidwell is now leading with his sweeper and slider, both of which get above-average whiff rates. He has leaned more on his sinker than his four-seamer as well. The sinker gets a lot of armside movement to pair with his breaking balls, which get more gloveside movement.

Some pitchers have demonstrated a better feel for their secondary pitches. In the early going, that looks to be the case for Tidwell, as his control has been sharper. Unfortunately, any discussion about a promotion seems to be on hold until the results of the MRI.

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