Jays Journal » Sal Fasano

Report: A.J. Jimenez to undergo Tommy John surgery

Jared Macdonald — Sat, 19 May 2012 10:26:00 +0000

New Hampshire Fisher Cats catcher A.J. Jimenez appears to be headed for Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow, according to a blog entry from Kevin Gray of the New Hampshire Union Leader late last night. It’s a major blow for Jimenez, one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects and considered one of the best defensive catchers in the minor leagues, as he could be out until next spring at the earliest.

“Jimenez had pictures taken at a local hospital and later left the ballpark with his elbow wrapped,” writes Gray. “He told Fisher Cats fan Brad Bacon that surgery was already scheduled. Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano said Jimenez will receive a second opinion but is ‘most likely’ headed for TJS [and that] the elbow ligament is ‘hanging by a thread.’”

A.J. Jimenez could be out until next season with an elbow injury. (Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE)

After being bothered by a sore right elbow earlier this month, Jimenez was placed on the 7-day disabled list on Tuesday before finding out the bad news last night. The 22-year-old hasn’t appeared in a game for the Fisher Cats since May 13, and one has to wonder if the discomfort in his elbow affected his hitting, considering he’s managed just a .237 average and .558 OPS over his last 10 most recent games.

It’s more likely that he’s just having trouble adjusting to Double-A pitching, though, because his elbow hasn’t taken anything away from his spectacular defense behind the plate this season. Jimenez has been a big reason why the Fisher Cats are ranked first in the Eastern League in caught stealing percentage so far in 2012, as he has gunned down 12 of 22 potential base stealers for an uncanny 55% rate.

Jimenez recently caught up with 1 Blue Jays Way to discuss playing for Sal Fasano, playing in New Hampshire, his draft process and more, so have a listen to that as more details about his injury trickle in.

In a corresponding roster move, the Fisher Cats called up Sean Ochinko from High-A Dunedin.

- JM

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LaCava: A.J. Jimenez is a sleeper

Jared Macdonald — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:29:59 +0000

Defensively-gifted Blue Jays catching prospect A.J. Jimenez opened eyes with both his glove and bat last season, so it’s no surprise that in an article on Baseball America yesterday (behind a paywall), assistant general manager Tony LaCava called the Puerto Rican backstop a sleeper and “arguably the best defensive catcher” that Toronto currently has in its minor league system.

The short article is definitely worth a read, as it has quotes from Jimenez, LaCava and current Blue Jays reliever Evan Crawford, who spent only a few weeks with Jimenez at Double-A New Hampshire this season prior to getting called up to Toronto but raved about the catcher, saying that “he’s one of the most athletic people I’ve ever met in my life” and that “he’s going to be something special.”

Coming off of an impressive 2011 campaign that saw him set new career-highs in doubles (29), walks (28), batting average (.303) and on-base percentage (.353) in a career-high 102 games, Jimenez is off to a slow start offensively with New Hampshire this season with a .236 average and .585 OPS in 14 games but has, however, already caught six of 13 basestealers for a 46% mark.

More importantly, Jimenez has been reunited with Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano, as the pair developed a special bond when they were previously together in 2010 with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts.

Getting to know him both as a player and a person, Fasano not only had high praise for Jimenez but taught him the intricacies of being a catcher, including how to frame pitches. Another year under Fasano this season should only help Jimenez continue to grow.

Here’s a clip of Jimenez making a tag at home during Arizona Fall League play in 2009:

- JM

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Message to Travis d’Arnaud: A.J. Jimenez is Hot on Your Tail

Jared Macdonald — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:43:40 +0000

It’s no secret that the Blue Jays are perhaps the deepest organization at catcher in all of baseball – second only to maybe the Yankees – since they have the luxury of multiple quality catching prospects in their system. With a lot of attention being paid to current big league rookie J.P. Arencibia, Halladay trade piece Travis d’Arnaud, and three-time organizational MVP Carlos Perez, current Dunedin Blue Jays catcher A.J. Jimenez often gets overlooked.

Jimenez, a native of Puerto Rico, often gets overlooked on many standout prospect rankings because, like many other non-American players, there’s not as extensive of a background on him. I wrote an in-depth scouting report on him (which includes an interview and videos) back in February when he ranked 17th on our pre-2011 top 50 prospects list, and given his torrid pace out of the gate this season with Dunedin, it’s a realistic possibility he could silently emerge as Toronto’s catcher of the future.

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Top 50 Jays Prospects, Jays Journal Edition: #17 A.J. Jimenez

Jared Macdonald — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:10:47 +0000

It’s hard to argue that the Blue Jays may have more depth at catcher than any other team in Major League Baseball.

Somewhat forgotten about among the Jays’ impressive collection of catching prospects is a defensively gifted young man at No. 17 on our list…

#17: Antonio J. Jimenez

Catcher / 20 years old / 5’11″ 200 lbs

Born: May 1st 1990, in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Bats: Right Throws: Right

High School: Academia Discipulos de Cristo (Bayamon, Puerto Rico)

College: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 9th round (279th overall) of the 2008 Amateur Entry Draft and signed for $150,000

Jersey Number: #6 for the Lansing Lugnuts

(more…)

Sal Fasano Promoted To Double-A New Hampshire Manager

Jared Macdonald — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:04:14 +0000

According to Kevin Gray of UnionLeader.com, 15 year veteran and former Blue Jay Sal Fasano will become the next manager of the Blue Jays Double-A minor league affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Eastern League.

Image Courtesy of the National Post

A favorite of both teammates and fans alike, Fasano, 39, made his managerial debut last year with the Lansing Lugnuts, the Blue Jays Lo-A minor league affiliate.

A 37th round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the 1993 draft, Fasano, helped guide the team to a 70-69 record. He oversaw the progress of a few notable Jays prospects on the Lugnuts roster including 2009 draft picks Chad Jenkins and Jacob Marisnick, in addition to Sean Ochinko and A.J. Jiminez. (more…)

The 2010 Lansing Lugnuts Roster

Mat Germain — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 23:50:29 +0000

As most of us hope that the majority of future Jays players will come from the minors, it is very important to keep an eye on the minor leagues and to be aware of the players coming up through the system. This season has a ton of talent in LoA Lansing with the arrival of many high end prospects and a new Coach to lead and bring them along in ex-Jays catcher Sal Fasano.

Here is the just announced roster for the Lansing Lugnuts in 2010. I have placed their ages and BA ranking for Jays prospects if they made the top 31 this year:

Pitching Crew:

SP Chad Jenkins (22 yrs old, #3 BA rank), SP Ryan Shopshire (24 years old), SP Dave Sever (23 years old), SP Scott Gracey (23 years old), SP Matt Fields (23 years old), SP Evan Crawford (23 years old), RP Dustin Antolin (20 years old), SP Ryan Tepera (22 years old), RP Aaron Loup (22 years old), RP Nestor Molina (21 years old), RP Steve Turnbull (23 years old)

Catchers:

Sean Ochinko (22 years old), Jon Talley (21 years old), Karim Turkamani (23 years old) (A.J. Jimenez on D.L.)

1B:

Balbino Fuenmayor (20 years old), Sean Ochinko (22 years old)

2B:

Ryan Schimpf (22 years old, #16 BA rank), Oliver Dominguez (20 years old), Kevin Nolan (22 years old)

SS:

Ryan Goins (22 years old, #24 BA rank), Oliver Dominguez (20 years old), Kevin Nolan (22 years old)

3B:

Mark Sobolewski (23 years old), Balbino Fuenmayor (20 years old), Sean Ochinko (22 years old)

LF:

Eric Eiland (21 years old)

CF:

Kenneth Wilson (20 years old, #28 BA rank)

RF:

Bradley Glenn (22 years old), Chris Hopkins (22 years old)

DH:

All – Kevin Nolan, Jon Talley, Oliver Dominguez ect..

Looking at the names on this list, I am very impressed by the amount of talent the team will have to begin the season. Chad Jenkins is the most obvious name on this list and may not be on the team for too long, but he leads a very deep staff. Matt Fields, Dustin Antolin, Dave Sever, and Ryan Tepera in particular are very interesting prospects that could jump a level or two this season. Aaron Loup impressed right away after being selected in the ’09 draft with 19 Ks in only 16 IP and should build on that this season. Offensively, the additions of Sean Ochinko, Ryan Schimpf, and Ryan Goins to this team immediately make it a very potent squad. With Kenny Wilson (37 SBs in 321 ABs) leading things off and the firecracker that is Oliver Dominguez (13 SB in 142 AB) included, this team will not be lacking any speed or energy.

Chad Jenkins will most likely be the first pitcher to throw for Lansing, and here is the likely lineup to begin the year:

CF Kenny Wilson
SS Ryan Goins
C Sean Ochinko
1B Balbino Fuenmayor
2B Ryan Schimpf
LF Bradley Glenn
3B Mark Sobolewski
RF Eric Eiland
DH Oliver Dominguez

Very nice looking lineup even if it does lack a lineup power in the middle.

I encourage anyone in the Lansing area to go see these guys play live. They’re the players that play all out for the full season and are trying to get noticed, so you know that every game you see the players are putting out 100% effort. If you can’t make it out there, you’ll get all of the information you need about these players here, as i intend to stay on top of things as I go along. I received the following information for anyone interested in going out to the games.

The Lugnuts open “their 15^th season on Wednesday, April 14, at 7:05 p.m. with an Opening Day Eat-a-Palooza. For $15, fans can purchase a ticket to see the Lugnuts battle the Lake County Captains and enjoy unlimited food inside the ballpark. Tickets to all 70 of the Lugnuts’ regular season home games at Cooley Law School Stadium as well as to Wednesday’s Crosstown Showdown against Michigan State University, presented by Auto-Owners Insurance, are available for purchase online at www.lansinglugnuts.com, at the stadium box office, and by calling 517-485-4500.”

Enjoy if you can make it, and go get’em Lugnuts!