OC Register: Angels pitching prospect Nate Smith to miss 2018 season

[AngelsWin.com]

Left-hander Nate Smith, who remains one of the Angels’ top-rated prospects despite missing most of 2017 with injuries, is expected to miss the 2018 season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Smith actually had the anterior capsule surgery in September, but it had gone unreported publicly. Smith’s agent, Jonathan Maurer, confirmed the surgery on Friday.

Smith underwent a similar procedure as the Dodgers’ Julio Urias, Maurer said. The expected timetable for recovery is 12 to 14 months. Maurer said Smith is in good spirits and optimistic about his recovery, perhaps even beating the odds to make it back sometime in 2018.

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Smith, who is currently rated the Angels’ No. 9 prospect by MLB.com, rose through the system to the doorstep of the major leagues in 2016, starting 26 times in the Triple-A. Although he had a 4.61 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, reports on his development indicated he pitched better, as the prospect ranking would indicate.

Smith, 26, was expected to be called up in September 2016, but he felt a twinge in his elbow in his final start of the season at Triple-A. The Angels nonetheless added him to the 40-man roster a year ago, and in spring training of 2017, he began having more arm problems. He pitched just 15 innings in four games during the season, allowing no runs and striking out 14.

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[Make Angels Great Again]

Seems like this dude is getting Hunter Green'd.

[Second Base]

Yeah I think we'll have to have a discussion about if he needs to remain on the Top 30 list. 

[Chuck]

10 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Yeah I think we'll have to have a discussion about if he needs to remain on the Top 30 list. 

I'd remove him.

[Stradling]

18 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Yeah I think we'll have to have a discussion about if he needs to remain on the Top 30 list. 

This is in no way a reflection of you but if this is still a discussion then our farm hasn’t developed as much as we talk about it. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

The Angels kept him on the 40-man roster, despite the injury, for what it’s worth.

[fan_since79]

LOL.

This team and its pitchers.

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

And so it begins...

[AngelsLakersFan]

47 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

The Angels kept him on the 40-man roster, despite the injury, for what it’s worth.

Probably not surprising. Not sure who they left off that anyone would really want.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Well, that was fast.

[Second Base]

3 hours ago, Stradling said:

This is in no way a reflection of you but if this is still a discussion then our farm hasn’t developed as much as we talk about it. 

It isn't a question of if he should be on the Top 30 still Strad. The question is more how we would go about doing this. It isn't as easy as taking his name out and plugging a new name in.

[Angelsjunky]

Jaime Barria is next.

[totdprods]

3 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

LOL.

This team and its pitchers.

 

RIght? Guy was already out hurt and found a way to get more hurt.

[Docwaukee]

Bummer.  Feel sorry for the kid.  

[totdprods]

2018 isn't even here yet and we've already lost two arms for the season

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

26 minutes ago, totdprods said:

2018 isn't even here yet and we've already lost two arms for the season

But we also got 4 arms back that missed all or almost all of last season. Plus the 2 we lost played very few or no games at all for the Angels last season.

[Bull58]

If he can't play in 2018, the good part is we can keep him around with putting him on the 60-day DL since he's on the 40 man roster. He has a great arm and I hope his arm will be just as good after all this.

[HaloNArizona]

Does this spell the end of his time with the Halos?