Yankees affiliate’s silence on top-tier pitching prospect’s injury is concerning

The New York Yankees’ pitching pipeline believed they had uncovered another potential hidden Matt Blake gem in 2023 third-rounder Kyle Carr, the team’s second pick in a draft that would eventually become (as always) loaded with arm talent.

The Yankees inked both Carr and George Lombard Jr. toward the end of the window on July 17, and the left-handed starter out of Palomar Community College (San Diego area, classic Damon Oppenheimer) drew rave reviews early for his easy velocity. “He just looks like he’s playing catch. There’s a little Tom Glavine look to the way he does it,” Oppenheimer himself noted after the signing became official; the strike-throwing lefty peaked at 96.

He seemingly skipped a level to begin 2024, too. While the Yankees are typically conservative with their (non-Trystan Vrieling) pitching prospects, Carr, MLB Pipeline’s 11th-ranked Yankee, skipped Tampa to open the season with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades.

Unfortunately, that opportunity doesn’t appear to have lasted very long. Carr left his weekend start early in the fifth, exiting with a trainer on Saturday night. Per Mike Ashmore, he didn’t appear to be favoring anything in the immediate aftermath, but his stuff earlier in the game “seemed a bit down.”

48 hours later, fans are still eagerly awaiting an update.

Yankees pitching prospect Kyle Carr exits start in Hudson Valley early

The 21-year-old Carr’s first two “starts” of the year were also quite short as his buildup continued, as is the rage these days (Paul Skenes, we see you and your innings-limiting 10-batter outings). Through three starts — including Saturday’s four-inning affair — he’s thrown 9 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and 11 walks, striking out five and letting four earned runs cross the plate. Notably, at the time of his selection, Carr had already undergone Tommy John surgery as a prep pitcher. Updates surely are still to come on Carr’s status, but it’s fair for any prospect assessor to watch his diminished control in his early outings, coupled with Saturday’s abrupt exit, and conclude that something was silently bothering him all along.  Add in Chase Hampton’s early concerns, and there’s already been plenty of negative momentum for a few arms New York has high hopes for.