Thinking back, 21-year-old righthander Patrick Forbes considers it a blessing in disguise. Hit by a pitch early in his sophomore season at Louisville, Forbes broke a bone in his left hand, bringing an end to his days as a two-way player. He split time between hitting and pitching at Louisville, but the injury simplified things, and he adjusted quickly on the mound. “I think I had a lot of untapped potential there,” Forbes said. After a stint with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team in 2024, Forbes was drafted 29th overall by the D-backs in 2025.

Source: Forbes January 11, 2026 11:43 UTC