Eddie Butler was shut down with a shoulder injury after making his MLB debut for Colorado earlier this week and now another very good Rockies pitching prospect is headed for elbow surgery.
Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports that right-hander Daniel Winkler will undergo Tommy John surgery and be sidelined into the middle of next season.
While not quite on Butler’s level as a prospect, Winkler is 24 years old with a very strong track record that includes dominating at Double-A this season with a 1.41 ERA and 71/17 K/BB ratio in 70 innings. Instead of being on the verge of a call-up--especially after Butler’s injury--now Winkler may not be back in the Rockies’ plans until 2016.
