Tough Week Of Injuries, Setbacks For Some MLBbros

Tough Week Of Injuries, Setbacks For Some MLBbros

by | Jun 2, 2022 | THE THREE SPOT

A group of MLBbros including baseball’s best hitting shortstop and the next great prospect ran into some unfortunate luck over the last week.  Here’s an update on what they are going through.

Tim Anderson

Coming into this season with World Series expectations, seeing Tim Anderson helped off the field in their Sunday afternoon victory over the Cubs was another kick to the stomach of White Sox fans.

 

Anderson is expected to miss the next three weeks after going down with a strained right groin he suffered trying to make a play on defense.

“Good news is that it could have been worse,” manager Tony La Russa told reporters.  “Which means three weeks and not six weeks is realistic, maybe.  It could have been more, so good news for us.”

There is no good time for an injury, but this was poor timing for Anderson who before he went down was leading all Major League shortstops in hits, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS.

The Yankee Way | Josh Donaldson Apologizes To Tim Anderson, Jackie Robinson’s Family

 

Anderson has seen his name in headlines over the last few weeks following his beef with Josh Donaldson after he disrespected the legacy of Jackie Robinson, but through it all he has been playing some of the best baseball of his career batting .407 over his last seven games.

This time miss should not affect Anderson’s chances at starting for the American League during next month’s All-Star game, but it could spell doom for the White Sox who have struggled when he is out of the lineup in recent years.

Royce Lewis

Twins top prospect Royce Lewis made the most of his opportunity when he was called up to the Big Leagues in May after Carlos Correa went on the Injured List.

Through his first 12 games, he hit .300 with two home runs including a grand slam before being sent back down to Triple A when Correa returned.

 

Dynamic Shortstop Royce Lewis Has To Change Positions To Play For Minnesota Twins

While there he had the chance to fine tune his skills at a few different positions including left field and third base and in doing so, made a few gold glove level plays.

This Saturday Lewis made his Major League debut in centerfield, and the fear of him getting hurt playing a new position came not even three innings into the game.

 

 

Lewis crashed into the wall while making a catch that had Twins everyday center fielder Byron Buxton smiling.

However, the mood around Lewis’ catch quickly went to remorse as he was forced to exit the game in the fourth inning and ultimately was placed on the 10-day Injured List with a bone bruise in his right knee.

The Twins are all too familiar with seeing injuries after making spectacular catches in the outfield considering Buxton’s injury history, but if they are going to keep Lewis’s name in their lineup these are some of the lumps and hurdles they will have to go through.

Joe Ross

The Washington Nationals announced former 2011 first round pick Joe Ross is having season-ending Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career.

Ross, who first had the surgery in 2017 was attempting to make his comeback to the Majors after suffering a partially torn UCL in his right elbow in August of last season.

 

 

After beginning the season on the 60-day Injured List he made his 2022 debut in the minors on May 24th, but after only going three innings he left the game due to tightness in his elbow.

An MRI revealed Ross had suffered significant ligament damage to his elbow and thus forced him to go the Tommy John route which he had hoped to avoid after going down last season.

Last year Ross tied a career high with 19 starts while posting a .417 ERA and a record of 5-9.

 

 

This is the final year of his deal with the Nationals and with him expected to miss all of next season and likely part of 2024, I would expect Ross to choose to rehab and get back to strength with another organization.

Dominic Smith

After being on the Mets roster for the last six seasons including 2020 where he finished 13th in voting for National League MVP, Dominic Smith was sent down to Triple A Syracuse.

 

 

I hope this is the end of Smith in a Mets uniform.  He could use a change in scenery and with the emergence of top prospect Nick Plummer who became the 14th Met to homer for his first career hit in Sunday’s win over Philadelphia, there may not be any way for him to find playing time.

 This year Smith is hitting just .186 with an on base percentage of .287 and no home runs.

Those numbers frankly are just not good enough for a player like Smith who has struggled on the defensive side of the ball.

One positive for Smith will be he will get the everyday at-bats he has missed during his last few seasons in New York.

Whether he improves enough to find his way back on the Mets roster or even enough to impress another Big League club this is a crucial turning point of which way Smith’s career will go.