Better know your Blue Jays 40-man: Glenn Sparkman

Glenn Sparkman is a right-handed pitcher who we picked up in this off-season’s rule 5 draft. He’s 24.

He was drafted in the 20th round of the 2013 draft. Since then he’s been in the Royals minor league system. In 4 seasons, he has a 2.68 ERA in 69 games, 38 starts. 238 innings, he’s allowed 206 hits, 54 walks with 250 strikeouts.

Glenn has pitched in four levels last year, AA, high A, A and Rookie League. Between the three levels, he had a 5.22 ERA in 16 starts. In 60 innings, he allowed 70 hits, 10 walks with 65 strikeouts.

In 2015 he had Tommy John surgery, which is why he pitched at all those levels last year.

He throws 4 pitches, fastball, slider, changeup and curve. The fastball sits about 90-92 mph. You can see why the Jays thought he might be a good candidate be this year’s Joe Biagini. A ton of strikeouts, not a lot of walk and if he could pick up a couple of miles per hour, working shorter relief outings from the pen, he could be useful as a long man/mop up type.

As much as I hate to think of an injury as a good thing, Sparkman’s thumb injury could work out well for the Jays. When he is ready to play, the Jays can put him on a minor league rehab stint for 30 days, I’d imagine they will take every day of it. That would give them plenty of time to evaluate and see if they want him on the major league roster, or if they want to give him back to the Royals.

Glenn pitched in 2 spring games, 2 innings, 5 hits, 4 earned, no walks and 1 strikeout. If he hadn’t been injured and if he had made the team, I think Joe Biagini would have started the season in Buffalo and would have been our 6th starter, the guy would have come up when our starters needed an extra day of rest or if someone was injured.

It will be at least May before any decision must be made on Sparkman. Lots can happen by then.