GLENDALE, Ariz. — Right-hander Ian Hamilton is getting back into his normal routine, four days after an auto accident that left him and his fiancée mostly unscathed.
The vehicle Hamilton was driving is another story.
“Everything is OK, just the car is dead,” Hamilton said Thursday morning.
The car, which belonged to his agent, was totaled. Hamilton, a hard-throwing late-inning reliever ranked 18th among Sox prospects by MLB Pipeline, said he wasn’t injured but needed a few days to recover nonetheless, throwing him off his normal schedule.
“I got thrown around, so I’m kind of stiff,” Hamilton said. “My fiancee was in the car and she got thrown around a little bit, bumped in the head, so we’re staying low right now.”
Hamilton said the other driver, who was not believed to be injured, was at fault.
“It was a real bummer,” he said. “Not scary, just more aggravating. It shouldn’t have happened. It’s made for an interesting start to spring.”
The last thing the Sox need this spring is another prospect-related setback. Two of their top ten prospects, outfielder Luis Basabe and right-hander Dane Dunning, have already been sidelined. Basabe had surgery to repair a broken hamate bone Tuesday and Dunning has forearm stiffness.
Hamilton, 23, appeared in eight games for the Sox last September, recording a 4.50 ERA after posting ERAs of 1.78 and 1.71, respectively, at Class AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte. He has been playing catch in recent days and was slated to throw a side session today. He expects to appear in his first game next week.
“I’m not hurt or anything. I’ll be ready,” he said. “Right now just taking time.”
McCann: Lefty Rodon has the right stuff
Former Tigers catcher James McCann has developed a good rapport with left-hander Carlos Rodon, and after catching the Sox’ likely Opening Day starter during the first two weeks of camp, he has also developed a fine opinion of Rodon’s stuff.
McCann has catching three Cy Young winners – David Price, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer — on his resume from catching four full seasons in Detroit.
“I was telling Carlos, you don’t hear his name with Price, Verlander and Scherzer yet,’’ McCann said. “I was telling him — yet. He has the stuff to be in those same conversations, he has the stuff to be in those Cy Young conversations at the end of the year. Now it’s taking that next step to put him in that next position.’’
Rodon will make his first Cactus League start against the Rockies Saturday at Camelback Ranch.
