When the Houston Astros drafted pitch Mark Appel with the first pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, there were high hopes the Stanford ace would be a core part of the Astros' turnaround. But after struggling in the low minors, Appel was shipped off to Philadelphia as part of the package for reliever Ken Giles.
The change of scenery seemed to do good things for Appel, beginning the season with the Phillies Triple-A team in Lehigh Valley. Over his first, Appel was brilliant for the IronPigs and showing his potential to be a high-end starter. Appel struck out 17 batters to nine walks over the 22 innings, allowing just a .244 batting average to opponents with a 1.32 WHIP.
But over his next four starts in May, things fell apart for Appel. He allowed 15 earned runs and 20 hits in 16 1/3 innings pitched and allowed a .294 opponents batting average. Appel's velocity also dropped significantly in his last start leading to more concern.
Appel was then diagnosed with a shoulder strain and placed on the disabled list. It's concerning in that pitching shoulders can often be a concern, sometimes even more so than elbows, but for now it is early. Appel entered the season rated as the 65th overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com. If he can return from the shoulder strain soon and get back to his April form, Appel should climb the prospect rankings and should make his major-league debut this season.