CHARLESTON, W.Va. — When Eduardo Vera heard the diagnosis, he knew his pitching career would be put on hold for at least one year.
The right-handed starter was going to need Tommy John surgery after experiencing soreness in his right elbow during extended spring training in 2015. It's a procedure that can be devastating both mentally and physically for a young pitcher.
It was quite the opposite for Vera.
Since returning from the injury late last season, Vera, whose greatest strength before surgery was command of his three pitches, is using increased fastball velocity to post a breakout season for the Pirates' Class A affiliate, the West Virginia Power.
“It’s really tough,” Vera told DKPittsburghSports.com at Appalachian Power Park earlier this month. “Some people think this baseball player thing happens fast, but believe me, it’s hard. For me, the process of getting surgery and having two years lost, it was frustrating, but at the end of the day you learn everything happens for a reason. I got better with that.”
Prior to surgery, Vera was throwing his four-seam fastball at 90 mph. It’s now averaging close to 95 with a changeup and curveball that have proven to be difficult for opponents to track in the South Atlantic League.
The 23-year-old has a 3.16 ERA in 82 2/3 innings, with 68 strikeouts and nine walks, good enough for a 1.14 WHIP.
It’s a drastic improvement from what Vera accomplished in his last full season. He had a 4.80 ERA in 17 starts in the Gulf Coast League in 2014, striking out 18 and walking five for a 1.13 WHIP.
Vera was more crafty than aggressive, keeping his pitches low in the zone to induce weak contact. He’s still doing that three years later, but the fastball has enabled him to overpower hitters.
“He’s definitely a guy that’s put himself on a lot of people’s radar,” West Virginia pitching coach Drew Benes said. “It’s fun to watch him throw. Every outing it’s one or two mistakes that get him, but we’re talking about it every outing. He’s learning a lot and he’s getting better.”
Vera was not a highly touted international prospect as a teenager. A native of Mérida, Yucatan, the largest city in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Vera began attending showcases at 15 and was invited to a handful of major-league tryouts but did not receive an offer. Finally, the Pirates signed him as a 17-year-old in March 2012.
He was somewhat refined for his age, throwing a sinker and slider in addition to his fastball, but the Pirates told him to drop both pitches in favor of a curveball and changeup.
It did not take Vera long to begin commanding both effectively, though he was a raw prospect. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League in 2012 and 2013, positing less-than-remarkable numbers, before officially joining the Pirates of the Gulf Coast League in 2014.
His trek through the minor leagues was delayed once the injury struck. He experienced soreness during an extended spring training start but persevered to throw three innings.
He could not bend his elbow the next day.
"When I found out it was Tommy John and learned how long it would take, it was sad," Vera said. "I was frustrated. But the people that support me and stayed with me helped me a lot."
He called his parents in Mérida — Eduardo Vera and Beatriz Hernandez — who wanted to travel to the United States to offer support while he underwent surgery.
Vera declined. He did not want them to see him when he was vulnerable. Surgery came and went, and it took nearly 14 months for Vera to pitch again.
He made seven rehab appearances as a reliever in the Gulf Coast League last summer, posting a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. When Benes took over as the Power's pitching coach this season, he had not heard much about Vera.
That's not abnormal for a new coach in Class A, but he knew plenty about Luis Escobar, who represented the Pirates in the Futures Game in Miami earlier this month and is the organization's No. 12-ranked prospect per MLB.com. But Benes quickly realized that Vera had the fastball command and effective breaking pitches to "pitch for a long time."
"I feel like my consistency has made the difference," Vera said. "I probably don’t have the same talent as Luis has, but I try to be consistent and do my best. I’m a better pitcher now, but my control has always been there."
INDIANAPOLIS
• Shortstop Kevin Newman was one of three infielders promoted this week, and the former first-round pick in 2015 made an immediate impact with the Indians.
Newman was recalled from Double-A Altoona on Thursday, and went 3 for 5 with two runs against Gwinnett that night. He provided a much-needed boost for an offense missing Austin Meadows.
The first Triple-A at bat for @OfficialKBN is an infield single up the middle. An E4 scores @leanonmeCB and it's 1-0, Tribe! pic.twitter.com/rwRo8RJo5i
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) July 20, 2017
Newman was batting .259 with a .669 OPS in 82 games for the Curve this season.
• Tyler Glasnow continued to overpower Triple-A hitters during his start Thursday night against Gwinnett, but his seventh start with Indianapolis showed signs of what plagued him during his time with the Pirates.
Glasnow struck out 11 batters, but he walked five. He was able to overcome the lack of control, pitching six innings and throwing 61 of 101 pitches for strikes, getting six groundouts. Gwinnett was 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Glasnow is now 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA since being demoted.
ALTOONA
With Newman promoted to Indianapolis, shortstop Cole Tucker was promoted to Double-A from Bradenton.
Tucker, a first-round pick in 2014, had 36 stolen bases in 68 games for the Marauders, batting .276 with a .765 OPS. He is 1 for 13 in three games since joining the Curve.
.@cotuck gets his first Double-A hit to help set up a four-run top of the first for the Curve pic.twitter.com/lse3AoJdqt
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 21, 2017
BRADENTON
Tucker's exit left a significant hole for Bradenton, and the organization decided to give that roster spot to shortstop Stephen Alemais.
A third-round draft pick last June, Alemais was batting .233 for the West Virginia Power, but he was limited to only 29 games because of a torn UCL in his thumb suffered on May 18.
Alemais underwent surgery and returned on July 4 to play eight rehab games in the Gulf Coast League and was promoted directly from there to the Marauders.
He is 4 for 9 with four RBI in three games with Bradenton, batting seventh.
• Mitch Keller, the Pirates' top pitching prospect, struggled upon returning to Bradenton after a rehab stint with the West Virginia Black Bears, but showed signs of progress in his start Thursday against Fort Myers.
Keller, a second-round pick in 2014, threw six shutout innings with four strikeouts.
GULF COAST LEAGUE
Shane Baz, the Pirates' first-round pick in this year's draft, has made four starts for the Gulf Coast League Pirates, allowing two runs in 8 2/3 innings.
Baz, an 18-year-old pitcher from Cypress, Texas, has eight strikeouts with six walks.