Tampa Bay Rays: Brent Honeywell finally set to make major league debut
September 3, 2017. That was the last time that Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brent Honeywell appeared in a regular season game. Since that point, he has battled a myriad of injuries, undergoing Tommy John surgery, fracturing a bone in his elbow, and undergoing a compression procedure on his right ulnar nerve. Those injuries have cost him three years, with some wondering if he would ever reach the majors.
That long awaited debut is about to become a reality. He has been called up to the majors, where he will make the start on Sunday.
#Rays put Archer on IL, call up Honeywell and he will open Sunday's game
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 10, 2021
Brent Honeywell finally making debut for Tampa Bay Rays
For a time, it seemed that this debut would occur in 2018. Honeywell appeared to be a star in the making, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.237 WHiP between Double-A and Triple-A, striking out 172 batters with 35 walks in his 136.2 innings. Even if he was not a part of the Rays Opening Day rotation for 2018, his promotion to the majors was expected to occur in short order.
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Instead, injuries continued to delay that debut, until one had to wonder if it would ever happen. His talent continued to intrigue, as he was a consensus top 100 prospect from 2016 through 2019, and even cracked some top 100 lists in 2020. Eventually, that litany of injuries took the bloom off of his prospect stature.
On Sunday, all that work to get through rehab, and all of those surgeries, will pay off. Honeywell will finally be able to stand on a major league mound, ball in hand as he fulfills a destiny that had been taken away from him.
There is no guarantee that Honeywell will remain in the majors beyond this outing. Chris Archer, who was placed on the Injured List, may only miss one start. Meanwhile, the Rays are likely to monitor Honeywell’s innings closely this year, doing as much as they can to keep him healthy as he is still considered a part of their future.
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The Tampa Bay Rays are finally going to get to see what Brent Honeywell can do. The oft-injured prospect is set to make his debut on Sunday.