This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Yankees prospect Brock Selvidge felt like he was on top of the world when he was selected for the 2024 All-Star Futures Game. The feeling lasted all of four days.
Selvidge, the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, would not take the mound at Globe Life Field in Arlington. A pinched nerve in his left biceps altered those plans, an injury that required surgery in September and instead prompted a winter of rehab exercises.
Now back on the mound at Double-A Somerset, the 22-year-old Selvidge has picked up where he left off, attempting to make up for lost time.
“I think it was good to get it out of the way,” Selvidge said. “It taught me a lot; this was my first injury ever. That perseverance got me through, seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. … It sucks that I had to leave the team halfway, but at the end of the day, I had to do what was best for my career at that point.”
Selvidge said he thinks of that missed Futures Game appearance as “just another chip I have on my shoulder.”
The Yankees’ third-round selection (92nd overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft, Selvidge signed for an over-slot $1.5 million. He was 7-6 with a 4.25 ERA in 16 Double-A starts last season, striking out 83 against 40 walks in 84 2/3 innings, with 78 hits allowed.
“I was in a really good headspace,” Selvidge said. “There were the highs and the lows, just like everything else, but this injury taught me a lot about what it’s like being on the field. I just missed being out here and not having to worry about the rehab process. It taught me how to be persistent on the stuff you really need to do off the field.”
Having made three starts at lower levels before rejoining Somerset this month, Selvidge was touched for two runs over three innings in a June 7 loss at Binghamton.
He rebounded by striking out six without a walk over 5 2/3 innings of one-run, one-hit ball on Friday vs. Portland.
“Now that I’m up here, it’s compete mode. It’s game time,” Selvidge said. “To get in this competitive atmosphere, back with the boys, it was a really good step mentally.”
Eastern League hitters have a new wrinkle to consider, too. Selvidge has tweaked his arsenal since last season; he added a curveball, which complements his four-seam fastball, sweeper, cutter and changeup.
“It just gives me that extra pitch,” Selvidge said. “That’s a 25 percent chance they knew what was coming. Now it’s 5 percent less.”
Selvidge said the curve was added at the suggestion of John Kremer, the club’s Minor League rehab coordinator. Selvidge said the idea is to use the curve to offset his fastball, which he likes to throw at the top of the strike zone.
“Especially in the rehab process, you’ve got a lot of time,” Selvidge said. “Let’s try and get those as [good] as possible, especially when you get up here to face that competition. Hopefully I can reinvent myself and get where I need to be.”