John Fay reports the following in today’s Enquirer:
Richie Gardner and Thomas Pauly were the No. 3- and No. 6-rated prospects by Baseball America going into last season. If you’ve checked this year’s minor-league stats, you’ll see they are nowhere to be found.
The two right-handers are coming off shoulder surgery and rehabbing at extended spring training.
“Richie is about two weeks from throwing off the mound,” said Johnny Almaraz, the Reds’ director of player development/international operations. “Pauly is a little behind him, probably a month away.”
Gardner, 24, was minor-league player of the year in ’04 after combining to go 13-5 with a 2.53 ERA at Single-A Sarasota and Double-A Chattanooga. That same year, Pauly went 8-7 with a 2.97 ERA and led the Carolina League with 135 strikeouts in 1211/3 innings.
I’d expect to see them both in Sarasota sometime in June or July. I hope that they both return strong.
Later,
Tom