CIN
A.J. Puk, P
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Scouting report
Puk has now missed the better part of the last three seasons due to a Tommy John surgery (2018), subsequent rehab (most of '19), and persistent shoulder problems ('20) that culminated in a September 2020 surgery. He pitched during the back half of spring training with diminished velocity and was shut down with a mild shoulder strain. He's been pitching relief in 2021. Long a softer-bodied guy, Puk spent the offseason training at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida and now looks lean and cut. A return to form would mean Puk is sitting 94-97 (harder out of the bullpen, if that's how he's used) with a plus slider, above-average changeup, and a curveball that was re-introduced to his repertoire in pro ball after it had been shelved in college. In his early 2021 outings, Puk was more 92-93 with his typical impact array of secondary stuff. Likely an impact arm when healthy, Puk generally hasn't been.