As if Minnesota hasn’t had enough injuries on the big-league roster this season now the Twins’ top prospect, 2009 first-round pick Kyle Gibson, has been shut down with elbow problems and underwent an MRI exam to determine if he needs Tommy John surgery.
Gibson got off to a good start at Triple-A, but then went 0-5 with a 6.47 ERA from June 1 through mid-July before the Twins decided to take him out of Rochester’s rotation.
He’s scheduled to be examined by team doctors early next week and in the meantime Twins minor league director Jim Rantz told Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that “you’re always concerned it might be his ulnar nerve” and “there’s enough concern that we’re bringing him to Minnesota.”
Gibson, who fell to the Twins with the 22nd pick coming out of college because of a fracture in his forearm, ranked 61st on Baseball America‘s list of top prospects coming into the season and pitched in the Futures Games during the All-Star break last month. Back in spring training there was talk of Gibson joining the Twins’ rotation in the second half, but now he might be out until 2013.
