SF Giants pitching prospect has 'no structural damage' in throwing elbow

The SF Giants received good news on the health of rookie right-handed pitcher Keaton Winn after he underwent an examination on Friday.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 30, 2023

SF Giants pitching prospect has 'no structural damage' in throwing elbow /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants received good news about young right-handed pitcher Keaton Winn (Giants Top 9 Prospect). Winn developed soreness in his throwing elbow after his last start at Triple-A and was examined by Dr. Ken Akizuki. Given Winn's injury history, having undergone UCL surgery in 2021, there were concerns about whether he would be able to return this season. However, Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters during his pregame availability on Saturday that the exam revealed positive news.

"What I have for you is there was no structural damage, and the gameplan is to get him some anti-inflammatories and get him back to pitching as soon as possible," Kapler said about Winn. Kapler later added that he still believes Winn would be able to help the big-league team this season.

Winn made his big-league debut with the Giants earlier this season and has a 4.09 ERA with 14 strikeouts and five walks in 22 innings pitched (five appearances) in the majors. He has also been the organization's most consistent starter at Triple-A Sacramento, recording a 4.47 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 25 walks in 52.1 innings pitched (15 games) in the incredibly hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

The Giants drafted Winn in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Iowa Western Community College and signed him away from a commitment to TCU. In college, Winn had flashed mid-90s velocity and an above-average slider but had been unable to sustain his premium velocity. Since turning pro, however, Winn has developed an excellent splitter that pairs well with a fastball that can reach the high-90s.

At his best, Keaton Winn has flashed the potential to be a solid mid-rotation arm with a comparable arsenal to former SF Giants ace Kevin Gausman. For now, though, the team's training staff is focused on helping him get back to 100% with hopes to get him back on the field soon.

Published Jul 30, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).