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Pauley, Gruler Have Surgeries

From the Enquirer:

Two of the Reds' top pitching prospects, Chris Gruler and Thomas Pauley, had shoulder surgery last week.

Gruler, the No. 1 pick in 2002, had a procedure to clean out and loosen the shoulder joint. Gruler, a 21-year-old right-hander, had major surgery on the shoulder in April 2004. He has been limited to 22 games in four years.

Pauley, the No. 2 pick in 2003, had a procedure to clean out the shoulder joint. Pauley, a 23-year-old right-hander, went 8-7 with a 2.97 ERA last year and led the Carolina League with 135 strikeouts in 1211/3 innings.

I didn't include Chris Gruler in my 2005 Top 40 Reds prospects list because I feared it would come to this.  This is his second shoulder surgery, and I think his career has to be considered officially over.

We finally know where Thomas Pauley is and it's not good news.  I saw him progressing to AA this year, but now I'll be surprised if he even pitches in 2005.  It's certainly possible that he'll be back, but I believe it's best to be pessimistic when it comes to shoulder problems.