Prospect Kirby to Minors DL with elbow injury
Left-hander taken 40th overall by Brewers in '15 Draft
CLEVELAND -- The Brewers placed pitching prospect Nathan Kirby on Class A Wisconsin's disabled list Monday with a left elbow injury, continuing an injury-plagued year for the 21-year-old lefty.
Assistant general manager Gord Ash said Kirby, No. 14 on MLBPipeline.com's list of the top Brewers prospects, would travel to Milwaukee for an examination by head team physician William Raasch. Ash did not have any other details about the nature of Kirby's injury.
Kirby came out of The University of Virginia and once projected as a potential top-five pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. He fell to the Brewers at No. 40 in Competitive Balance Round A after missing a significant portion of the collegiate season with a muscle strain behind his left shoulder. He returned to close out the College World Series for national champion Virginia and reportedly had a deal to sign with the Brewers for above the $1.548 million slot value assigned that pick.
But a new, undisclosed medical concern delayed the deal, and Kirby eventually signed on July 17 for $1.25 million. Kirby went 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in five games, two starts, for Wisconsin before being shut down with the injury.
Another top 30 prospect, right-hander Taylor Williams (No. 17) is the only pitcher in Milwaukee's system to undergo Tommy John surgery so far this year.