Royals promote pitching prospect Sean Manaea to Class AA Northwest Arkansas
The Royals promoted left-handed pitching prospect Sean Manaea to Class AA Northwest Arkansas.
Manaea, 23, made four starts for Class A Wilmington, a level he dominated in the second half of 2014. Manaea struck out 22 batters in 19 2/3 innings for the Blue Rocks this season. His ERA was 3.66.
The Royals returned Manaea to Wilmington to start the season because he missed almost all of spring training with a strained abdominal muscle. He also tweaked his groin, which further delayed his arrival at a full-season affiliate.
Kansas City chose Manaea with the No. 34 pick in the 2013 draft. Manaea was initially believed to be a top-five talent, but he experienced a debilitating hip injury during his junior season at Indiana State. The Royals lavished a $3.55 million bonus upon him in order to entice him to sign.
It is unlikely Manaea will contribute at the big-league level in 2015. He is considered still somewhat raw by team officials.
To reach Andy McCullough, call 816-234-4370 or send email to rmccullough@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @McCulloughStar.
This story was originally published July 18, 2015 at 3:08 PM.