Some upsetting news to report out of the Phillies Advanced 'A' affiliate in Clearwater. 2014 second round pick Matt Imhof has suffered a significant eye injury and ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports the incident could end up being a career-threatening one for the 22-year-old left-hander.
A Philadelphia Phillies minor league pitcher suffered a potentially career-threatening eye injury in a freak training accident in the Class A Florida State League late last week, his agent confirmed to ESPN.com Monday.
Imhof, 22, was taking part in a routine stretching regimen after a game at Brevard County when a piece of equipment malfunctioned and he was struck in the right eye, a baseball source told ESPN.com. Imhof has undergone surgery and is likely to need further procedures, the source said.
In 2014, the Philadelphia Phillies used their first round pick to select Aaron Nola. In the second round, they picked 6-foot-5 southpaw, Matt Imhof. He went 8-5 with a 3.94 ERA last season with Advanced 'A' Clearwater and was transitioned into a bullpen role after nine starts this season that saw him post a 4.33 ERA. He seemed to fare better out of the bullpen, allowing two runs in 9.1 innings of relief.
The Phillies signed him for a $1.2 million signing bonus as the 47th overall pick in 2014.
