Espinoza headed to DL with forearm tightness

Padres No. 2 prospect Anderson Espinoza will begin the 2017 campaign on the disabled list after experiencing forearm tightness, according to an official with the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Class A Advanced California League club on which Espinoza was expected to start the season. Reached for comment, the Padres called the DL trip a precautionary measure, but his expected return date is not yet known. 

Forearm tightness can be a scary two-word phrase, especially when it comes to young pitchers, as it can portend more serious issues with the arm or elbow and is sometimes linked to eventual Tommy John surgery. However, it doesn't always end under the knife. Red Sox left-hander David Price served as an example this spring when he was told he wouldn't need surgery on his elbow, despite feeling tightness in his pitching forearm.
Speaking to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres general manager A.J. Preller seemed optimistic that this will just be a minor setback.
"There's no need to rush into the season for him," he told the newspaper. "I think we just want to make sure everything is good. There is no need to put him out there unless he is feeling 100 percent. We'll see what comes up in the next few days, but so far nobody seems too concerned."
Espinoza entered 2017 as MLB.com's No. 24 overall prospect and No. 6 among right-handed pitchers, thanks to a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball that can reach the high-90's and two above-average offerings in his curveball and changeup. Despite turning 19 on March 9, the native of Venezuela was set to begin his third stateside season in the Minors. He posted a 4.49 ERA with 100 strikeouts and 35 walks over 108 1/3 innings between Class A Greenville and Fort Wayne last season, his first full campaign in the Minors.
The six-foot hurler came to the Padres from the Red Sox last July in a deal that sent Drew Pomeranz to the West Coast. The deal gained notoriety when it was revealed Preller hadn't fully disclosed Pomeranz's full medical history and that the Red Sox had the option of reversing the trade. Major League Baseball suspended Preller 30 days without pay, following an investigation, but both players stayed on their respective sides. 
Speaking to MiLB.com's Tyler Maun as part of the Prospect Primer series, Padres director of player development Sam Geaney expressed excitement about getting to see what Espinoza could do, beginning in the California League.
"He's so athletic, it's continuing to kind of make sure that that athleticism plays in every delivery, in every pitch, probably finding a little more consistency with his breaking ball," Geaney said. "Obviously he's still a prospect, so we don't ever want that to get in the way of continuing to strive to get better.
"Whether it's his idol, someone like Felix [Hernandez], it's how to, at a certain point, go from prospect to Major Leaguer and then from Major Leaguer to elite."
Despite Espinoza's absence, the Storm still tout a fairly talented roster, headlined by No. 4 Padres prospect Cal Quantrill who is returning from Tommy John surgery he underwent while at Stanford.