Padres' Lawson, Munoz to miss '20 season

If and when baseball returns in 2020, the Padres will be without two talented right-handers.
Reggie Lawson, San Diego's No. 16 prospect, and 21-year-old Andres Munoz both underwent Tommy John surgery Friday. With rehabilitation from the reconstructive elbow procedure usually lasting 12-15 months, both pitchers will miss whatever competition plays out this year.

According to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell, Lawson's injury occurred March 11 -- the night before Spring Training was suspended because of the Coronavirus pandemic -- when the 22-year-old tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning against the Cubs. He pitched only one other inning during Cactus League play. Munoz's injury was sustained on a slider thrown during his lone spring outing on March 5. He felt fine after the game, Cassavell reported, but felt soreness two days later.

The injury marks another setback for Lawson, who posted a 5.20 ERA over 27 2/3 innings in six starts for Double-A Amarillo before a right elbow injury cut short his 2019 season. He pitched a career-high 117 frames for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore the year before but has yet to top 73 innings in any of his other professional campaigns since being taken with the 71st overall pick of the 2016 Draft.
Munoz, a reliever, pitched well in both the Major and Minor Leagues last year, combining for a 3.03 ERA in 35 games for the Sod Poodles and Triple-A El Paso before making his big league debut in July. He spent the rest of the season with the Padres, compiling a 3.14 ERA over 23 innings and averaging 100 mph with his fastball.
Originally scheduled to begin April 9, the Minor League season won't start public health experts deem it safe to resume play.