Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier incurred two fractures in the metacarpal bones in his left hand on Saturday.
Kiermaier will see the team hand specialist, Dr. Doug Carlan, Monday for a reevaluation on the injury, which could take upwards of two-months to heal. The injury occurred on a fifth-inning diving attempt on Saturday, and caused the 26 year-old outfielder to leave the game.
In his postgame presser, Manager Kevin Cash acknowledged the loss, but tried to downplay the likely impact of his absence.
It’s a big loss, but the guys in this clubhouse carry themselves really well. They’ll kind of rally around each other and pick each other up. KK is a huge part of what we’re doing, and when he gets back he’ll be right back in there. …But in the meantime, guys will adjust. We’ll be fine. We’ll be all right. The last thing you want to say is that it’s a horrible loss and we’re not going to be able to recover from that. We’ll be fine.
That loss of Kiermaier will be a significant for the Rays, although it’s even more devastating when you take in consideration that the team is already missing 2015 MVP Logan Forsythe, and awaiting the return of All-Star closer Brad Boxberger from March core surgery.
Kiermaier has quickly established himself as one of the game’s top all-around players. In addition to his Gold and Platinum Glove defensive prowess, saving 42 runs per game in 2015, the lefty-swinging Kiermaier has started to come around at the plate this season, having slashed .256 BA/.302 OBP/.513 SLG/.815 OPS with two homers and nine runs batted in over the last 14 days. His base-running ability will also be missed, as he has racked six steals in 2016 and presents a realistic threat on the base paths with the ability to turn singles into doubles, and force fielders into mistakes.
Tampa Bay will have to depend upon its gritty approach to the game moving forward. Steve Pearce spoke about the team’s plucky way of play, referring to squad as The Rats — an outfit that will have to carry on without one of the most dynamic players in the game.
It’s kind of like our mantra. Rats, baby. We get after it. We don’t have the big-name guys, obviously except for Longoria. We grind. We get after it. We find a way to get it done. We find a way to win ballgames.
The Rays skipper reinforced the idea, saying,
I think we all know the energy that he brings to our team on a daily basis. We’ll kind of have to work together to get through that a little bit.
As did third baseman Evan Longoria,
We’ll have to kind of regroup (today) and find a way to overcome. We’ve had some tough situations over the years. I feel like we have the guys in here to do it. We have the mind-set. We’ll just need some different guys to step up and have to get some contributions from the top down. But it’s a tough blow.
In The Outlaw’s absence, the Rays have called up Mikie Mahtook, who put up excellent numbers (.295 BA/.351 OBP/.619 SLG/.970 OPS/.411 wOBA with nine homers in 115 PA) last season with the Rays. In spite of a brief stint on the DL, Mahtook has thrived with Triple-A Durham this season, slashing .316 BA/.402 OBP/.474 SLG/.876 OPS/.400 wOBA in 87 PA. He offers a mix of athleticism, speed and power that could play well in the interim.
Rays beat writer Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) added that Desmond Jennings could play bigger role while Kiermaier mends.
Desmond Jennings, who had played his way onto the bench and into at least speculation, if not actual discussion, about what would be a stunning demotion to Triple A, seems likely to get a chance at redemption and conceivably a return to centerfield.
With a stronger arm, and thus the capacity to throw out runners at a greater clip, I’d argue that Guyer is the most likely candidate to spend time in center. Then again, Jennings has better range in the field, so his potential to make Kiermaier-esque plays could find him collecting more playing time. My guess is that Cash will depend on a platoon of Guyer and Jennings in left, and some combination of the three (including Mahtook) players in center.