Former Top Prospect Dellin Betances Returns

Once highly touted pitching prospect right-handed Dellin Betances pitched in his first game last night since he had elbow surgery nearly a year ago.

He started for the Single-A Tampa Yankees. His line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO, 1.50 ERA. Coming off of surgery, the walks are the most impressive thing, but he did unleash one wild pitch.

Betances had a ligament reinforcement surgery just two weeks short of a year ago. That surgery was done after he had dealt with numerous minor elbow injuries that caused him to miss games in 2007, and early on last year.

Betances had also become one of the Yankees top pitching prospects after getting drafted out of Brooklyn in the 8th round of the 2006 draft. His best season was 2008  when he pitched for Double-A Charleston. That year he had a 9-5 record, a 3.92 ERA, and 141 strikeouts in 121.2 innings.

Now that he’s back, he’s starting out with the High-A Yankees and will probably spend his entire season there. There is a slight chance he could get promoted, but because he is starting his season so late, it is unlikely. He would have to have one hell of a season to get promoted.

First things first, Betances has to pitch and pitch consistently to get back on the Yankees radar.

Related Stories

• April 28, 2010 -- Yankees Notes: Park, Johnson, Betances, and an IFA Signing (1)
• April 12, 2010 -- Sherman: Yanks Farm System Needs to Produce Pitchers (4)
• February 25, 2010 -- Minor League Injury Updates – Betances, Horne, Others (1)
• December 31, 2009 -- Newman’s Notes on Yankees Prospects (0)