Solometo's Injury Woes: Pirates' Lefty's Future Uncertain

0:00It's April 23rd. Welcome in. This is MLB News Today, where the game meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Prospect. Anthony Salameda was full of promise when they drafted him back in the second round of the 2000. 21 MLB draft, signing him for $2.8 million. But injuries keep derailing his path, and now he's back on the 7-day injured list with double-a Altoona after just two rough relief outings in, early April, where he posted an 18-ERA over two innings. Earlier this season, shoulder pain flared up again, forcing him out after those starts against Harrisburg and Richmond. The Pirates Senior Director of Sports Medicine says it's recurring left shoulder trouble, and they're getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith. Meister, right now. He's not throwing it all while they figure out the next steps. Meister was rough, too, with Salameda limited to a few appearances before landing on the injured list, including a 60-day stint. He ended up with a 1-7 record, nearly 6-ERA over 58 innings, and his fastball velocity

1:04dropped from 95 miles per hour to, around 90. That dip and speed is a big red flag, especially after a strong start in 2022 and 2023 with lower minors, where he had ERAs under 3.5 and drew comparisons to Madison Bumgarner for his unique delivery and off-speed stuff. The Pirates still believe in this 23-year-old lefty and his slider and change up potential, but it looks like surgery might be on the horizon. To get him back on track for a real breakthrough down the line.