Cleveland Indians: The Forgotten Top Pick in Brady Aiken

Aiken continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery without setbacks

The 2015 season for the Cleveland Indians saw a changing of the guard on many fronts with rookies not only joining the Tribe this season but having a huge impact. One name that has been “forgotten” is that of top pick Brady Aiken. It’s not forgotten for any other reason than Aiken is simply continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery and is still a few months away from the Indians seeing him in live action. 

The Indians took Aiken in the 2015 draft, and it was the second time he had been selected in the first round. He was also chosen as the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Astros, but the two teams could not come to an agreement on a deal after concerns about his elbow arose. He was injured in his first appearance at the IMG Academy as he was in preparation to return to the draft pool in 2015.

With the Tribe already stacked with solid arms, it was a bit of a surprise to see them go after Aiken. But while they do have to wait out his rehab, it’s very possible they could get a “top pick” at a bargain price. It will take patience on the Indians side, but they seem prepared for it.

Aiken is currently in Goodyear, AZ working on his rehab program which is going as scheduled with no setbacks so far. Aiken is currently doing 60-75 feet light tossing and hopes to progress to pitching off a mound sometime this offseason.

The current goal is to have Aiken continue rehabbing and build strength with an eye on facing live hitters in a minor league spring training game. From there it’s likely Aiken will start in Low-A ball in order to continue building strength and managing his workload. He could see the higher levels later in the season to see how he responds to stiffer competition.

If Aiken heals and turns into the pitcher that the Astros thought they had with the top pick in 2014, the Indians’ staff will only get stronger in the coming years.

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