The Seattle Mariners have announced that Gold Glove center fielder Franklin Gutierrez has suffered a partial tear of the pectoral muscle in his right chest. Seattle expects Gutierrez to be sidelined at least four weeks, which will likely cause the 29-year-old to start the 2012 regular season on the Mariners disabled list.
The Mariners thought they had found their center fielder of the future following the 2009 season. During that campaign, Gutierrez posted an OPS of .764 with 18 home runs, 24 doubles and 70 RBI’s while playing above average defense in center.
Gutierrez’s glove work was rewarded in 2010, as the center fielder was named an American League Gold Glove winner. However, Gutierrez’s bat took a step back which can be seen in his ominous OPS of .666.
Then last year happened.
Not only did Gutierrez falter at the plate, but he was sidelined for much of the season due to a debilitating digestive condition which caused him to lose 20 pounds in 2011. Though he entered camp claiming to feel better than he has in a while, Gutierrez was once again bitten by the injury bug, this time while making throws from the outfield.
In place of Gutierrez, Michael Saunders, Casper Wells and Trayvon Robinson are likely to get a look in center field. Veteran Chone Figgins manned the position yesterday for the Mariners during their intrasquad contest, but he hasn’t played a regular season game in center since the 2006 season.
Whatever the case, this was certainly a setback for a team and player that can ill afford it.
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