There is never a good time to get injured but in terms of seasonal timing, Milwaukee Brewers top 30 prospect Corey Ray may have found it.
Ray suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while sliding into third base in an instructional league game and recently underwent surgery to repair the damage, sidelining him indefinitely. Considering the regular minor league season recently ended just over a month ago, Ray will have a good amount of offseason time to recover from his injury.
Although the organization hasn’t released a timetable for his return, the average recovery time for this type of tear, which is one of the most common knee injuries in both sports and in general, is usually around three months. Given the schedule of the regular minor league season, that likely puts Ray on track to return to the Brewers’ new High-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats, by the time it rolls back around, barring any major setbacks.
Of course, that also means he will lose additional opportunities to get in reps in the offseason that will help continue to develop the progress he’s already made since joining the organization.
Ray was the Milwaukee Brewers first round pick (5th overall) in June’s amateur draft – also becoming the highest pick in Louisville history – and currently stands as the team’s No. 2 prospect overall. According to MLB Pipeline, he was ranked as the draft’s top position player thanks to a powerful combination of hitting and overall athletic ability. He largely started in right field but thanks to his exceptional speed would easily slot into a position in center, although he has some work to do on his decision-making in the field.
After earning All-America honors by hitting .325 with 11 home runs, 56 runs batted in and 34 stolen bases in only 65 games in 2015, Ray continued proving his worth with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He led the team with seven doubles, 10 stolen bases, and seven walks while slugging a team-best .548 and hitting a second-best .355 average all without committing an error in 14 outfield starts.
After being drafted this year, Ray was immediately sent to High-A Brevard County and played well in his first professional season in the minor leagues, batting .247/.307/.385 with 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 17 RBI and nine stolen bases in only 57 games.
With any luck, Ray’s rehab will progress on time and put him back in action as one of the most exciting prospects in the Brewers organization come spring.
Jonathan Powell is the Managing Editor of Outside Pitch MLB and the Milwaukee Brewers writer. Follow him on Twitter @jonathannashhh.
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