MLB Rewind: Kyle Schwarber Suffers Leg Injury
Thursday was a light day in terms of MLB action. Nine games were on the schedule and one of those was rained out (BOS/CLE). However, there was plenty to pay attention to in the games that were played.
A team intentionally walked a hitter to get to Albert Pujols. Okay, the hitter was Mike Trout so the move is a little more understandable. The Dodgers finally dropped a game, Bryce Harper homered again, and the Cubs are still undefeated.
Were those the biggest pieces of news in MLB on Thursday? Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from yesterday’s action.
Next: A Slugger Bounces Back?
The Good – Jay Bruce
Few players had a more uncertain offseason than Bruce. Cincinnati is clearly in a rebuild, and many assumed trading Bruce was a part of that plan. In late February it actually looked like he was out the door. The Reds, Blue Jays, and Angels apparently agreed in principle to a deal that would have sent Bruce to Toronto. However, issues with Michael Saunders‘ physical killed the deal.
As unlikely as it seemed before spring training, Bruce has opened the season as the Reds outfielder. The Reds front office is likely hoping that he can reestablish some of his value prior to the trade deadline this summer. If he has a few more days like he did on Thursday, then it’s safe to say his value is one the way up.
Bruce went 3-4, hit two home runs, and drove in five. The first home run was a part of an eight run 4th inning that put Cincinnati in the lead for good. After the first series of the season the Reds are sitting at 3-0, and Bruce has been a major factor. Bruce is coming off of a couple of down years, but Reds’ fans are likely optimistic that this could be the beginning of a bounce back season.
Next: A Significant Injury for a Young Star?
The Bad – Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber’s appearance on this list has nothing to do with poor performance on the field. In the second inning of last night’s game against the Diamondbacks Schwarber was involved in a scary collision with Dexter Fowler. After the collision Schwarber was grabbing his leg, and eventually he was carted off the field.
Initial x-rays on Schwarber’s leg came back negative, but he will undergo an MRI this morning. As of last night there was hope that he simply suffered an ankle sprain, but the team and fans will likely hold their breath until the ligaments can be checked out. The Cubs went on to win the game 14-6.
If there’s a team in baseball that could withstand an injury to a key contributor it’s the Cubs. Kris Bryant moved to left field last night after the injury, and Jorge Soler is available as the primary backup. Chicago fans were excited to see a full season of production out of Schwarber in light of the production he gave the Cubs over 69 games last year. Check back at Call to the Pen throughout the day for updates on the situation.
Next: A Struggling Lineup
The Ugly – The Top of the A’s Lineup
Oakland has gotten off to a 1-3 start this season, and on Thursday the top of their lineup couldn’t help get them out of the funk. Billy Burns, Jed Lowrie, and Josh Reddick combined to go 0-12, and Oakland fell to the White Sox 6-1.
Reddick has had an especially slow start to the season. He was coming off of two productive offensive seasons, and the A’s hoped he could provide consistent production in the middle of their lineup. So far in 2016, Reddick is 2-13 with 3 strikeouts and no walks. Of course its still early, but his .154/.154/.154 line is disappointing. He likely won’t be this bad all season, and the A’s are hopeful he’ll rebound.
Next: Tyler Kolek has Tommy John surgery
Oakland may not be confused with an offensive juggernaut this season, but they certainly have to expect more than what they received from the top of their lineup yesterday.