Bombers Bites With Jacob Winters: Eric Jagielo Hit In Face With Fastball

According to the NY Post’s Joel Sherman. Yankees minor leaguer Eric Jagielo was hit in the face with an 87 MPH fastball and is being tested for a concussion. Reports also indicate that his helmet absorbed some of the blow but his face was damaged as well. That is the only information available as of right now.

Jagielo, 22, was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft (26th overall). He spent the majority of his season with the Tampa Yankees (advanced A-ball) where he hit .259/.354/.460 with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs in 85 games.

The other two first round picks in 2013 were Aaron Judge and Ian Clarkin. All three are proving their worth so far.

Judge proved himself to be one of the team’s top prospects as he hit .308/.419/.486 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs for both of the Yankees single-A teams.

Clarkin is emerging as a solid pitching prospect, going 4-3  with a 3.12 ERA, a .258 batting average against, and a 1.25 WHIP in 17 games (16 starts and 75 innings pitched.)

Jagielo remains a third baseman, though some scouts wonder if his defensive skills are better suited for first base. Either way, his bat is proving to be quite potent and the Yankees must be hoping that there is nothing seriously wrong with him.

It will be interesting to see what kind of progress he’ll make in 2015 with a full season of Minor League Baseball under his belt.

He could be the long term replacement for third baseman Alex Rodriguez who will return from a season long suspension in 2015.