Cory Luebke

It has been a long, grueling road back for Luebke since his first Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2012, and he's still not out of the woods. After numerous setbacks in his recovery from the initial procedure, Luebke went under the knife to have his elbow reconstructed again in February of 2014, and shortly after his return to a full-season affiliate in June of 2015, the elbow began acting up yet again. Fortunately, no ligament damage was found this time, but Luebke was forced to undergo surgery to relieve pressure on a nerve in his left elbow. The Padres predictably declined the 30-year-old's contract option for 2016, making him a free agent, and he figures to settle for a minor league deal with another club. Luebke's major-league career was off to a strong start before the elbow issues popped up, as he had a 3.25 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 55 appearances from 2010-12.

Luebke enters the year in limbo with a pair of Tommy John surgeries under his belt, including one last February that erased a second season in a row. In actuality, he hasn’t toed the rubber since April 2012, and there's no end in sight to his absence from the mound, as his rehabilitation figures to consume most, if not all, of the upcoming campaign. Even if his left elbow improves enough to provoke an outing with the Padres before the end of the season, a relief role may be his best path to a sustained gig in the majors in the long run.

Luebke hasn't taken the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2012, a period in which his rehab has been delayed on three different occasions, mostly recently in September of 2013. General manager Josh Byrnes is hopeful that Luebke will be able to compete for a spot in the rotation in spring training, but due to his rocky recovery, there's no evidence that it'll come to pass. Further, there are whispers that Luebke may be shifted into a relief role if he fails to secure a rotation spot again this spring.

Luebke made only five starts in 2012, before he suffered ligament damage in his elbow that needed Tommy John surgery to correct. How he responds to the rehab and any possible setbacks that he might experience will determine just how soon he returns to the mound. He had the surgery in late May, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could return sometime in June or July. Before the injury, he had pitched 188.1 innings in the majors with a 3.25 ERA (3.21 xFIP) and command of his pitches that was helping him develop into a quality starting pitcher. He should be a good longer term investment for keeper leagues, as well as one-year formats with deeper benches or the flexibility to stash injured players with DL slots.

The Padres' young southpaw had a tremendous first full season in 2011. He began the year as a member of the bullpen and after posting an ERA of 3.12 with a 2.85 K/BB and was subsequently promoted to the rotation in late June where he posted a 3.38 ERA with a 3.55 K/BB through 104 innings in 17 starts. He also managed a 0.77 HR/9IP and held the opposition to a .204 BAA. Luebke should remain in the rotation in 2012 and can be considered a solid late-round sleeper.

Luebke, a highly-regarded prospect in the Padres' system, spent the bulk of 2010 between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A Portland, before finally getting called up in September. At Triple-A, he excelled with a 5-0 record, 2.97 ERA, 1.031 WHIP and 2.59 K/BB ratio. His callup went fine as he posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.302 WHIP and 3.00 K/BB ratio. He possesses a fastball that sits in the low 90s, a slider, and a changeup, all of which he has confidence in. He'll enter spring training battling for a spot in the rotation. Should he not break with the team, keep an eye on him as he'll likely be up at some point in 2011.