Kendrys Morales of the LA Angels will undergo season ending surgery on his injured left ankle. Morales has not played since May of last season.
The injury occurred during one of the strangest sequences you’ll ever see.
During a May 29th game against the Seattle Mariners, Morales came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th. The outfielder ended the game on a grand slam, his team leading 11th homer of the season. Morales rounded the bases and a mob awaited him at home, ready to begin the celebration.
However, celebration quickly turned to angst when his teammates realized Morales was hurt. During his emphatic stomp on home plate, the Cuban native managed to fracture his left ankle. Morales ultimately had to be assisted off the field by a medical cart.
Originally the Angels hoped to have their slugger back for the end of the 2010 season. Unfortunately, Morales faced setback after setback and is now not going to see action until 2012.
Morales got off to a great start in 2010 after his breakout 2009 campaign in which he finished 5th in MVP voting.
The Angels have replaced Morales at first with 25 year old Mark Trumbo. Trumbo, who entered the year as the Angels 9th best prospect according to Baseball America, played well during the club’s spring training. This effort and Morales’s injury gave Trumbo an opening to begin the year as the team’s starting first baseman.
Trumbo had a monster 2010 in AAA in which he hit 36 homeruns and maintained a line of .301/.368/.577. He shows a high propensity to k and his defense is questionable, but Trumbo has held his own hitting .263 with 6 homers and 17 RBIs for the Angels.
Still the club would love to be able to plug Morales into a lineup that is already top 10 in several offensive categories this season.
While Morales seemed poised to establish himself as a bona fide slugger in 2010, questions surround how he will return to the diamond after missing nearly 2 years.