FSL notes: Jays' Hoffman humming along

Jeff Hoffman was the ninth overall pick in the 2014 Draft by Toronto, despite having Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery less than a month earlier.

Instead of being relieved to go that high, though, the right-hander from East Carolina University took it as a challenge to show the eight teams that picked ahead of the Blue Jays that they had missed an opportunity.

"In my mind, I thought I still should have gone higher," said Hoffman, who had been projected as a potential top overall pick before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in mid April 2014.

The native of Upstate New York went ahead and had surgery that May and made his Minor League debut within 12 months. Now the Blue Jays' selection of Hoffman and the bonus of $3,080,000 they gave him don't seem like a risk at all. The 6-foot-4 right-hander made his eighth start for Class A Advanced Dunedin on June 27, and his talent was on full display. 

Hoffman, Toronto's No. 3 prospect and No. 72 on MLB.com's Top 100 list, limited Fort Myers to two hits over five scoreless innings while striking out six and walking one in the no-decision. The strikeout total was a season high for the 22-year-old, and he was able to get his ERA down to 3.75.

Hoffman hit 99 mph with his fastball in his Florida State League debut May 20, so there was no question about his velocity. Now his feel for pitches appears nearly back as well.

"Each outing, I'm getting better," he said. "I think everyone coming off surgery hopes to be a little ahead of what is probably realistic. There were a couple starts where I thought, 'Why am I not Jeff Hoffman yet?' But hopefully I'll be right where I want to be soon."

Hoffman's last college start was against Middle Tennessee on April 17 a year ago. The stands were full of scouts and executives, including the Chicago Cubs' Theo Epstein, and he didn't disappoint, striking out 16 over eight scoreless innings.

Making a warmup pitch for the seventh inning, though, Hoffman felt a little tug in his elbow. There was no pop and, pumped up with adrenaline, he stayed in the game. But not long afterward, the tear was discovered and surgery performed May 14.

"I think it was smart to go ahead and get it over with," he said. "I wanted to get this season started as early as possible."

Limited to about 75 pitches in most of his starts, Hoffman has pitched into the sixth inning just once. But he has had three scoreless outings and allowed no more than four runs in any game.

"The Blue Jays know what they're doing, and we took the whole rehab process slow and easy, not pushing anything," he said. "I think that's why I've got my velocity back so quickly, and now I've been able to get the feel for my other pitchers."

Hoffman has discarded his slider, but he still has a sharp-breaking curve and solid changeup to go with his powerful fastball.

"When you can command those three pitches, that's all you really need," he said.

Hoffman would obviously be further ahead in his pro career if he hadn't needed surgery, but he's hardly being forced into major catch-up mode, either.

"My arm is 100 percent. I have no trouble trusting it and I feel really strong," he said. "I think the mental part of my game still needs that 5 or 10 percent to be all the way back. That only comes with more experience, and I'm getting there."

Eight players were drafted ahead of Hoffman, including four pitchers. Toronto is obviously happy he was still around.

"I'm thankful that the Blue Jays took the so-called risk," he said. "But to me, it wasn't really a risk. I said then that I thought I was as good as any player in the Draft, and I still feel that way."

In brief

Bad times: Daytona was without manager Eli Marrero and Florida State League RBI leader Sebastian Elizalde when two losses at Clearwater on June 24 cost the Tortugas the North Division's first-half title on a tiebreaker. Marrero and Elizalde were suspended after a benches-clearing brawl at Fort Myers on June 18 that was touched off by a hit batter. The sweep at Clearwater stretched Daytona's losing streak to seven and two losses to start the second half followed. Elizalde, an outfielder from Mexico, had 47 RBIs in 67 first-half games.

Good times: Clearwater swept a three-game series from skidding Daytona and was the North's first-half champ thanks to a five-game winning streak. Right-hander Ricardo Pinto, up from Class A Lakewood, won his first two starts for the Threshers, who also got a boost from new center fielder Carlos Tocci. Then Clearwater received two more South Atlantic League All-Stars when shortstop Malquin Canelo and first baseman Rhys Hoskins joined the team for the second half. Pinto is Philadelphia's No. 10 prospect, while Tocci is ranked No. 17 and Canelo is listed at No. 29.

Getting relief: Fort Myers, already with a prospect-laden rotation, got a boost for the bullpen when Tyler Jay, Minnesota's first-round Draft choice this year, joined the team. The left-hander didn't waste any time making his Minor League debut, pitching an inning on June 26 and 28. Jay, the No. 6 overall pick, was an All-American at Louisville as a junior, serving as an occasional starter as well as a reliever. He had a 1.08 ERA and finished with 24 career saves. The Twins plan to eventually give Jay a look as a starter.