Twins 2017 AFL Week Five: LaMonte Wade suffers concussion in on-field collision

Hope you didn’t forget about the Arizona Fall League! It’s week five, and the seven Twins prospects participating down south this year are still trucking. Their team, the Surprise Saguaros 11-16, which is the worst record of all six teams in the league. That’s okay, though, we care about the individual prospects more, right?

Let’s check up on how each of them is doing.

LaMonte Wade - CF

It was a scary week for LaMonte Wade. During the second inning of the Arizona Fall League Military Appreciation Game last Saturday, November 11th, Wade collided with teammate Oscar Mercado.

Though there was a long delay and Wade had to be carried off the field with a stretcher, he reportedly never lost consciousness. In fact, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carried off the field.

Wade was taken to the hospital, where x-rays came up negative. He was diagnosed with a concussion and was able to return to the stadium before the end of the game.

Unsurprisingly, he hasn’t played in the one game since the concussion, and I’m assuming won’t play again this fall.

Other than that, Wade went 0-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch in the game on November 9th, and 0-for-2 with two sac flys in the game November 10th. Wade hit .238/.351/.413 overall this fall, with two home runs, three doubles, and a triple. He also had nine walks, which is currently the second most on the team.

Tyler Jay - LHP

Tyler Jay had two scoreless outings in the past week, helping lower his ERA from 6.75 to 5.19. In the game on November 9th, Jay walked two batters, but also struck out two and gave up no hits. On November 13th, Jay gave up one hit, but struck out one and walked zero.

The Pioneer Press’s Mike Berardino caught up with Jay, who said he felt something “click” recently during a bullpen session. “I felt everything fall into sync,” he said. “I’m excited about it. Even when I was at Fort Myers, [my pitching coach told me] told me not to worry about the velocity. It will come. He said it’s there.”

Chris Paul - 1B/3B

Chris Paul hit a solo home run off Red Sox prospect Kevin McAvoy in the game on November 10th, and followed up with a triple in the game the next day. He went 5-for-15 overall on the week, bringing his average up to .270 for the fall. Not too bad!

Andrew Vasquez - LHP

Though Andrew Vasquez managed to lower his ERA over his two outings in the past week, his second appearance on November 11th was a bit of a tough one. With the Saguaros up 10-8 over the Peoria Javelinas in the 8th inning, Vasquez was called in to get out of a two-out, bases loaded jam. Spoiler alert: He didn’t. After walking in a run on the first batter he faced, Vasquez hit the batter to walk in the tying run. Vasquez did eventually get the third out of the inning, but the Saguaros went on to lose the game.

Vazquez’s appearance on November 9th was much better. Here’s a video taken by TCAnelle.

He sure has some pretty stats too! A 0.77 ERA with 13 strike outs and a 0.94 WHIP over 11.2 innings pitched.

Ryan Eades - RHP

Welp, Ryan Eades’s scoreless streak couldn’t last forever. Eades gave up a solo home run to Dodgers prospect DJ Peters in the game on November 9th, marking his first and only earned run of the fall. He now has a 0.77 ERA with 10 strikeouts and a 1.29 WHIP over 11.2 innings.

Mike Berardino caught up with Ryan Eades and spoke to him about his fall and dealing with roster uncertainty.

“I just try to take it one day at a time. I can’t control either of those things,” Eades said regarding the 40-man roster and Rule 5 draft. “I just try to prepare myself each day to be successful. Whatever happens at the end of this or going forward, it is what it is. I’ll be ready for whatever.

When asked if he ever felt he could go back to starting, Eades replied, “I feel like I could do it. But like I said, whatever the Twins, the front office people, see my value as, I’m all for it.”

Tom Hackimer - RHP

Tom Hackimer had two scoreless outings over the past week, bringing his fall ERA down to 2.53. That’s not to say it was pretty, though. In the game on November 9th, Hackimer came in to pitch the 7th inning and hit the first batter he faced. He then threw a wild pitch, and later walked two more batters to fill the bases. He was able to get out of the inning somehow unscathed.

Hackimer’s second outing on November 13th was much better — not hits or walks, and one strike out.

Overall this fall, Hackimer is now sporting 2.53 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 10.2 innings.

Sean Miller - SS/2B

It was a quiet week for Sean Miller, who went 1-for-10 over three games. The highlight of his week was probably when he drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in the game on November 10th.

Overall on the fall, Miller is now hitting .271/.314/.292 with one double and three walks.