Solon (Ohio) senior left-handed pitcher Matt Smoral developed a stress fracture in the fourth metatarsal on his right foot and will be out for the season, his father, Steve, told ESPNHS.
Rated the nation’s No. 2 lefty and No. 6 overall prospect in the ESPN 100, Smoral injured his foot while at a tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week and X-rays confirmed what he and his parents suspected. This is the second stress fracture Smoral has had in his right foot and the doctor who treated it previously, Dr. Brian Donley, will perform surgery on Friday to correct the problem.
Donley wrote in an email to the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau that the expected recovery time is 12-to-14 weeks and that Smoral should make a full recovery.
Smoral was a potential first-round pick in this year’s MLB draft, but Steve Smoral said his son is in very good spirits, especially knowing he has a scholarship to North Carolina in case the draft doesn’t work out.
“He knows that it’s a bump in the road and that it’s going to get fixed,” said Steve Smoral. “There’s never a good time for this, but he knows there’s plenty of baseball left to play.
“Nothing has changed in Matthew’s ability to pitch. The unfortunate part is major league scouts won’t get to see him anymore (this year). But our approach has always been to focus on your grades, your play on the field and Carolina, and the draft will work itself out.”
Smoral is the latest star prospect to get injured this season, joining No. 1 Lucas Giolito (sprained ulnar collateral ligament in right elbow), No. 22 Rio Ruiz (blood clot removed from neck) and No. 61 Alex Bregman (broken finger).