Phillies Prospect Mark Appel Knows 2017 is Decisive for Future

Time has run out for Phillies prospect Mark Appel, and he knows it’s now or never if he ever wants to make it as a major-league pitcher.

When the Phillies traded Ken Giles in December of 2015, they received five pitchers in return. Two garnered the most attention once the dust settled: Vincent Velasquez and Mark Appel. Velasquez immediately became a staple in the rotation, but Appel has not seen that same success.

The former No. 1 overall pick made just eight starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2016. He had a 4.46 ERA and 11.6% walk rate before a shoulder injury put him on the disabled list. As Appel was rehabbing from that injury, he sustained a bone spur in his elbow and to get surgery to…