One of the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospects left his first start of the 2024 season after suffering an apparent arm injury.
Pitching with the low-A Dunedin Blue Jays, left-hander Brandon Barriera was lifted from a game in the second inning after throwing a slider. He showed discomfort after the pitch and spiked the ball into the ground before leaving with a trainer.
The 20-year-old was through 1.1 innings and had allowed two hits and one run. He was later charged with a second run after a baserunner he allowed came in to score.
The Blue Jays selected Barriera in the first-round, 23rd overall, in the 2022 MLB Draft. Barriera pitched just 20.1 innings while making his professional debut in 2023 as injuries kept him sidelined for a large portion of the season. In his time on the mound, he posted a 3.98 ERA, didn't allow a home run, stuck out 25 and walked nine batters.
He is ranked as the Blue Jays' No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline. According to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, Barriera had earned plenty of praise during spring training for showing up in great shape and touching 97 m.p.h. with his fastball.
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