Carlos Gomez Out Indefinitely with Broken Clavicle
By Editorial Staff
While Carlos Gomez’s diving grab may have helped the Brewers beat the Diamondbacks Wednesday night, it cost them their center fielder for the foreseeable future.
Gomez fractured his left clavicle while making a terrific catch in the 4th inning of Wednesday’s contest. He robbed Ryan Roberts of extra bases and saved his team a run which proved crucial as the Brewers went on to defeat the Diamondbacks in extras.
But the victory came with a price as the team later learned of Gomez’s condition. Ryan Braun shared an outfield with Gomez this season and told reporters just how important the 25 year old was to the Brewers after Wednesday’s game.
"“People don’t realize how valuable he is,” Braun said. “He’s probably our best defensive player and one of the best defensive players in baseball. The guy is unbelievable in center field. He’s hit lefties well all year. It’s really valuable to have a guy that can come off the bench and be a great defender and run the bases. And he’s a lot of fun to be around every day. He has a lot of energy. I feel horrible for him. … You can’t replace somebody like that.”"
While Gomez has only been able to put up a line of .220/.270/.378 on the year, he’s posted the third best UZR/150 (23.2) among outfielders this season.
Milwaukee was using Gomez and Nyjer Morgan as a platoon, where Gomez would see action against lefties. Morgan will remain the team’s primary center fielder, and the club has called up Brett Carroll from Triple-A to slide into Gomez’s role.
With Gomez’s injury, Carlos Beltran to Milwaukee rumors have taken flight. But GM Doug Melvin quickly put those to rest, telling reporters that they shouldn’t hold their breath for a major move to occur.
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