Salem and Greenville
With all sports, it is shortsighted to try and judge a draft class after the first season. Baseball is no exception, but that did not stop the pundits who thought that Boston had a very good draft. So far, the draft has not started out great.
The 12th overall pick, Jason Groome, made one start for Greenville where he could only get 4 batters out. After the start, it was revealed that he had a lat strain, and has been on the DL ever since. The second round pick, CJ Chatham, started the season in Extended Spring Training to rehab his strained hamstring.
Chatham just joined Greenville this past weekend, and has a lot of time to make up. Chatham spent 4 years at Florida Atlantic University before being drafted, and is currently 22 years old. In low-A baseball, most players are 20 or younger. Because of this, Chatham is already behind many of his peers.
Another 2016 draft pick, another injury. Bobby Dalbec was the hero for the Arizona Wildcats in the College World Series last year. The third baseman/pitcher, Dalbec threw over 120 pitches, and then proceeded to have a multi-hit game in their next game. Boston was clearly impressed with his skill set, as they drafted him in the 4th round as a third baseman.
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Dalbec was playing well, but his season has taken a turn for the worst. He was placed on the DL with hand and wrist soreness last week, and there is currently no timetable for his return. Bobby Dalbec is someone who the Red Sox hope can develop into either a position player or a pitcher, and seeing this is never a good sign for a young player.