Orioles’ Fenter Goes Under The Knife

BALTIMORE—Righthander Gray Fenter sustained an elbow injury in March that led to Tommy John surgery and a lost 2016 season.

Fenter, 20, had the procedure at the end of spring training.

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The Orioles selected Fenter in the seventh round of the 2015 draft out of West Memphis (Ark.) High. They signed him for $1 million, which was well above the allotted $178,300 pool value for that draft slot.

Fenter had committed to Mississippi State before signing with the Orioles.

“It’s a disappointment because he’s a young high school kid,” director of minor league operations Brian Graham said. “He’s got a good arm. He was making good strides.”

Fenter recorded a 1.66 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts) last year covering 22 innings in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He never made it to the mound this season, but the Orioles anticipate that he’ll make a full recovery and resume a promising career.

“It’s only a setback in time,” Graham said. “He’s going to miss a year, a year-plus, but now we know that he’s going to be healthy.”

Fenter can use 24-year-old righthander Branden Kline as a positive example. The 2012 second-round pick out of Virginia had the same procedure in October and is moving along quickly.

“I’ll tell you who’s coming along good is Branden Kline,” big league manager Buck Showalter said. “Don’t forget about him. He’s getting ready to get to the mound here shortly. He was a good-looking pitcher before he got hurt.”

Kline went 3-3, 3.66 in eight starts at Double-A Bowie last season before the Orioles shut him down in late May. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection and pitched twice in the instructional league before the elbow discomfort returned.

BIRD SEED

• The Orioles promoted first baseman Trey Mancini from Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk in late April. The organization’s reigning minor league player of the year hit .302/.413/.698 with seven homers and four doubles in 17 games at Bowie.

• Bowie outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl, earned the Eastern League’s player-of-the-week award for April 17-24 after going 14-for-32 (.438) with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs and seven runs scored. He didn’t have an extra-base hit prior to his breakout week.