How about three draft picks in the first five rounds for the Tampa Bay Rays who recently faced injury issues? People didn’t see Chris Betts catch much this year because of an elbow injury, Brandon Lowe suffered a broken fibula a few days ago, and now here is Joe McCarthy. McCarthy was a potential first or supplemental rounder entering the season, but he required back surgery in January and didn’t look the same after he returned. From the Rays’ standpoint, however, they saw a guy with an advanced bat that was suddenly signable in the fifth round.
McCarthy hit just .