Anthony Kay

On Saturday, Mets prospect Anthony Kay threw off the mound for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery last October.  The Mets had discovered Kay suffered from a torn UCL shortly after the team made him their second first round draft pick, 31st overall.  This led to Kay not only having the Tommy John surgery, but also an under-slot signing bonus.

Kay needing the surgery caused some to shine a light on how he was used in college.  As Keith Law of ESPN noted, UConn was not as protective of the young left-hander’s arm as they needed to be.  In one instance, Kay was left in an 18-1 game to face 36 batters, which is a staggeringly high total for the majors, let alone Divsion I baseball.  There was another instance where Kay threw 90 pitches on three days rest.  In his prior start, Kay had thrown 101 pitches.  How Kay was used is certainly not uncommon in the collegiate ranks.

Due to his UCL injury, Kay has not pitched for any of the Mets minor league affiliates, and it is not anticipated he will pitch for one before the close of the 2017 season.  However, considering how the Mets handled Marcos Molina last year, there is a chance Kay participates in the Instructional Leagues.