The injury bug has not been kind to the Rice Baseball alums in the MLB. Tyler Duffey was the first Owl to make his mark in 2020.
The first weekend of the 2020 MLB season is in the books and it didn’t contain many highlights from Rice baseball alums at the next level. Early season injuries have kept the Owls from making their mark on 2020 so far, with the notable exception of Twins reliever Tyler Duffey.
Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins
Duffey was the first of the Owls to make his 2020 debut. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in the Twins 10-5 Opening Day victory over the Chicago White Sox. He threw 13 pitches (11 strikes), striking out two and allowing one hit.
It was a good night at the office for Duffey, who made Tim Anderson and two-time All Star Yasmani Grandal look silly with some impressive punch outs.
Duffey ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HnAnineLlK
— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) July 25, 2020
Brock Holt – Milwaukee Brewers
Holt signed with the Brewers this offseason after spending the entirety of his career before that with the Boston Red Sox. A sprained ankle has hindered him from making his debut. He did not play in the Brewers opening series against the Chicago Cubs, which they dropped 2-1.
Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels
All signs point to Rendon making his Angels debut, but the World Series Champ did not appear in the first three games of the Halos four-game series with the Oakland Athletics. Rendon has been battling an oblique injury but has thus far avoided a stint on the injured list.
Jon Duplantier – Arizona Diamondback
Jon Duplantier made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He started this year in the Diamondbacks 60-man player pool, but off the 30 man roster as he works back from injury. There is no clear timetable for his return.
