Chris Withrow

Withrow was establishing himself as a trusted late-inning arm for the Dodgers early in the year, but suffered a torn UCL in his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery in early June. As a result, the start of his 2015 campaign will be delayed until the summer, but it's possible that he'll be able to pick up where he left off if he's able to rehab the elbow without a hitch. One area of concern will be his control, however, as Withrow was issuing walks at a very high clip (7.6 BB/9) before the injury, and that is often one of the final pieces to return following surgery. A big part of his appeal to the Dodgers is that he's still under club control through 2019, making him a low-cost option capable of providing value on a roster that has a handful of overcompensated relievers. Look for him to be ready to pitch in games at the big league level again at some time around the All-Star break.

In a fairly familiar story, Withrow looks to have made a successful conversion from struggling minor league starting pitcher to reliable bullpen arm. With a blazing fastball that averaged 96.1 mph last year, Withrow posted a 2.60 ERA in 34.2 innings once he was recalled from Triple-A. His 11.2 K/9 is closer-worthy, though we would like to see his 3.4 BB/9 improve a bit. It may not happen right away, but Withrow could soon wind up as Kenley Jansen's top setup man.

A former first-round pick, Withrow's career has stalled due to command issues and struggles against left-handed hitters. He's now spent three straight seasons at the Double-A level and in 445 minor league innings, Withrow has a 5.0 BB/9 to go with a 4.87 ERA. He does have some talent still, as evidenced by last year's 9.6 K/9 and given that he turns just 24 in April, there's still hope. Expect him to return to Double-A where it won't be surprising if he's converted to the bullpen full time.

A former first-round pick, Withrow appears to have stalled in Double-A. Spending the past two seasons at that level, Withrow has posted ERAs of 5.97 and 4.20, BB/9IPs of 4.81 and 5.27, and K/9IPs of 8.36 and 9.13. The strikeouts give us hope that he'll put it all together at some point, and he's still just 22, but like more than one Dodger pitching prospect over the years, walks have been a huge issue. Withrow will start 2012 back in the high minors, but to take that "next step," his pitches need to find the strike zone with far more frequency.

For the second consecutive year, the Dodgers tapped a Texas-area high school for their first pick and though Withrow doesn't have the upside of 2006 No. 7 overall pick Clayton Kershaw, they are still excited about his potential. Withrow is several years from the big leagues, but worth owning in keeper leagues with deep minor league rosters.