With Enyel De Los Santos returning to the Phillies Sunday, Adonis Medina will take his spot in the MLB Futures Game Sunday in Washington, D.C.
With Enyel De Los Santos joining the Phillies to replace Zach Eflin, the team had no representative at the MLB Futures Game Sunday in Washington. Matt Breen of Philly.com reported Saturday night that prospect Adonis Medina will be De Los Santos’s replacement in the Futures Game for the World Team. With ten pitchers on the team, there is a good chance Medina will get to pitch.
Medina has spent this year in High-A Clearwater, but his numbers have not been great. In 15 starts, he has a 4.92 ERA, 4.39 fielding-independent pitching, and 1.33 WHIP. His strikeout rate has fallen and his walk rate has risen compared to last year in Low-A Lakewood.
Home runs have especially been an issue for Medina, giving up nine in 71.1 innings. After giving up home runs on 6.9 percent of fly balls last year, that number has risen to 12 percent this year.
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Medina actually had put together a strong string of starts for over a month, but he gave up seven runs in 2.2 innings in his last start July 9. Up until then, he had a 2.31 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 11 walks in 39 innings.
Medina is the team’s second-best prospect according to MLB.com, behind only Sixto Sanchez. His fastball has both great velocity and movement, leading to a 50 percent groundball rate this season. His slider and changeup are both good secondary offerings with the changeup looking above-average at times. His command is also strong, especially for someone with his caliber of stuff.
Medina’s name has come up in trade discussions with Sanchez being labeled an untouchable by the team. The Orioles have reportedly grown interested in Medina and other prospects, sending scouts to watch them in the minors. Medina could very well wind up being the centerpiece in a deal for Manny Machado at the deadline.
Next: Phillies send Eflin to DL, recall De Los Santos
For now, Medina is still Phillies property and will represent them in the Futures Game.