Athletics No. 3 prospect and 2025 No. 11 overall draft selection Jamie Arnold left Triple-A Las Vegas' game Tuesday after a 107 mph comebacker struck him in the face. The 22-year-old remained on his feet after the ball hit him, immediately throwing off his cap and glove, and walked towards the dugout. The trainer came out to check on the southpaw, who continued down into the dugout without any delay.
Hayden Juenger came in to replace Arnold after the incident. Arnold is in the midst of his first professional season, and will hope the blow he suffered won't cause any reason for him to miss time. He began the year in Double-A, making his professional debut with the Midland Rockhounds and making 23 appearances as a starter for the club.
His control suffered at the beginning of the year, as his overwhelming number of walks led to plenty of runs coming around to score, but he slowly pieced things together beginning in June, when he had a 2.31 ERA over the course of four starts. The left-hander proved he had what it took for a promotion in August, when he had a 1.57 ERA over the course of four starts, striking out 29 batters in 23 innings while issuing just six walks. He made his Triple-A debut Sept. 1, throwing five shutout innings against the El Paso Chihuahuas.
Arnold is a key piece in the A's' half-decade-long rebuild, as they hope he will be a key piece of their rotation when they make their move to Las Vegas in the 2028 season. The A's' pitching staff has been the worst in the AL and second-worst in the big leagues this season, posting a 5.42 ERA over the course of their 145 games so far. The only team with a worse ERA mark at this point of the season is the Colorado Rockies, who play in the most hitter-friendly park in MLB.
If Arnold continues to adapt to professional ball and improve at the rate he has over the last year, he is sure to feature for the A's in MLB at some point next season. The A's will hope Tuesday's incident doesn't stunt Arnold's development as he finally settles in as a professional player.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
