Ribs have been within the headlines this week, however sadly, not as a part of a overview of thrilling new ballpark barbecue choices. On Monday, Triston Casas was identified with a fractured rib on his left facet, an damage that may lead to a protracted absence and comes at a time when the Pink Sox infield has already been depleted. On Wednesday, the Cubs’ Cody Bellinger was identified with fractured ribs on his proper facet, interrupting his rebound from a sluggish begin.
The 24-year-old Casas left Saturday’s sport in opposition to the Pirates after injuring himself whereas fouling off a Mitch Keller pitch. He was initially identified with a pressure in his left rib cage and was positioned on the injured listing on Sunday. An MRI taken on Monday revealed a fracture as properly, and the presumption is that his absence might be a protracted one provided that the harm entails muscle and cartilage in addition to bone. “Timetable, there’s none. It has to heal by itself. We’ve simply obtained to be affected person,” stated supervisor Alex Cora. That appears like a visit to the 60-day IL could possibly be so as.
Casas was off to a stable begin this season, hitting .244/.344/.513 (138 wRC+) with six homers. He hit .263/.367/.490 with 24 homers as a rookie final 12 months, digging himself out of a large early-season gap and ending seventh within the American League in wRC+ with a 129 mark because of his mixture of energy and plate self-discipline. He had not been hitting the ball as arduous this 12 months, together with his xSLG dropping from .500 to .420, however he had homered 5 instances in his final 10 video games earlier than Saturday’s damage, which passed off in his first plate look.
Casas’ damage comes at a time when Boston’s infield is already down two of its projected starters. Shortstop Trevor Story could also be out for the season after dislocating his left shoulder whereas attempting to make a diving cease, struggling a fracture of the glenoid rim and requiring surgical procedure. Second baseman Vaughn Grissom has but to seem in a serious league sport as a result of a left hamstring pressure, although he’s on a rehab project at Triple-A Worcester. In the meantime, starter Brayan Bello joined Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta, and Garrett Whitlock on the IL as a result of lat tightness; he’s not anticipated to be out lengthy, however that’s rather a lot to resist for the Pink Sox, who’re nonetheless off to a 14-11 begin.
For the second, Cora plans to switch Casas with 28-year-old Bobby Dalbec, a participant who has yielded diminishing returns since homering eight instances in his 23-game cup of espresso in 2020. Final 12 months, Dalbec hit .204/.264/.306 and struck out 52.8% of the time (!) in 53 plate appearances, and he’s by some means been worse this 12 months, hitting .054/.125/.081 (-47 wRC+) with a 47.5% strikeout charge; that’s 2-for-37 with a trio of walks and 19 strikeouts.
Higher choices exist, although the inner ones look like a stretch. Utilityman Rob Refsnyder, a 33-year-old righty, has a smattering of expertise at first, albeit not since 2020; he simply returned from a fractured left toe and has gone 7-for-16 in 5 video games together with 4 begins in a row in proper area. The Pink Sox may check out Niko Kavadas, a 25-year-old lefty whom Eric Longenhagen evaluated final 12 months as a 35+ FV slugger with 70-grade uncooked energy however “a body extra appropriate for beer league softball… and a fringe defender at first base.” He’s off to a .267/.443/.600 (165 wRC+) begin at Worcester however has struck out 29.5% of the time — an enchancment from final 12 months’s 35.8% charge whereas hitting .206/.377/.428 (118 wRC+) at Double- and Triple-A.
From exterior the group, the crew may look to deal for Garrett Cooper, who was designated for project by the Cubs on Tuesday simply earlier than Bellinger’s damage, and who nearly signed with Boston in late February earlier than selecting Chicago. The 33-year-old righty has hit a decent .270/.341/.432 in 41 PA this 12 months after batting .251/.304/.419 (96 wRC+) for the Marlins and Padres with career-worst stroll and strikeout charges (6.8% and 28.9%) final 12 months. The Pink Sox have reportedly talked to 34-year-old righty C.J. Cron, who opted out of a minor league take care of the crew in late March however stays unsigned; he’s coming off a dismal .248/.295/.434 (82 WRC+) displaying in part-time obligation with the Rockies and Angels. A transfer that would yield increased upside however take longer to return to fruition can be to signal 36-year-old lefty Brandon Belt, who stays a free agent after hitting .221/.331/.398 (102 wRC+) with the Blue Jays final 12 months.
As for Bellinger, the 28-year-old heart fielder injured himself in Tuesday night time’s sport in opposition to the Astros. After clubbing his fifth residence run of the 12 months within the first inning — a towering blast with a projected distance of 428 toes — he actually hit the bricks within the fourth, crashing into Wrigley Discipline’s outfield wall in pursuit of a Yainer Diaz fly ball that he gloved however couldn’t management; it bounced off the wall for an RBI double.
Bellinger remained within the sport, batting once more within the fifth (he popped out) however departing on the finish of the sixth, with Mike Tauchman shifting from proper area to heart and Alexander Canario getting into the sport, which the Cubs gained 6-2. Within the dugout, Bellinger could possibly be seen grimacing whereas rubbing his proper facet and speaking with Cubs coaches:
Cody Bellinger left immediately’s sport early. pic.twitter.com/JeG5pJkqxH
— Marquee Sports activities Community (@WatchMarquee) April 24, 2024
Preliminary x-rays had been adverse, with the Cubs asserting that Bellinger had suffered a proper rib contusion, however a CT scan taken on Wednesday revealed not one however two fractures. He’s been positioned on the IL, and the Cubs have but to announce a timetable for his return. In 2021 whereas with the Dodgers, he suffered a nondisplaced fracture of a rib on his left facet after colliding with Gavin Lux within the outfield. He performed three video games earlier than residual soreness led the Dodgers to put him on the IL, although he was again in 10 days and even skilled a slight uptick in his offensive efficiency throughout an in any other case abysmal season.
After signing a three-year, $80 million contract to return to the Cubs — one which comprises opt-outs after the primary two years of the deal — Bellinger had began this season in a funk earlier than heating up in latest days. Although he hit an RBI double off the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi on Opening Day, he batted simply .167/.270/.296 (51 wRC+) with two homers in 63 plate appearances over his first 14 video games. Nevertheless, Tuesday’s residence run prolonged his present hitting streak to eight video games and was his third bash in that span, lifting his line to .226/.320/.440 (103 wRC+).
Superficially, that’s nonetheless a far cry from final 12 months’s .307/.356/.525 (134 wRC+) efficiency, which marked a return to stardom for Bellinger after two injury-wracked seasons with the Dodgers that led to his November 2022 non-tendering. Nevertheless, underneath the floor, Bellinger’s 2023 and ’24 performances — small-sample although the latter one is — aren’t as far aside as they give the impression of being. His 88.7 mph common exit velocity, 10% barrel charge, and 37.1% hard-hit charge all signify enhancements upon final 12 months’s numbers. His .464 xSLG is definitely 30 factors forward of final 12 months’s xSLG, and his .329 xwOBA is 2 factors forward. Although his 15.5% strikeout charge is an eyelash under final 12 months’s mark, he’s fallen off notably in his two-strike efficiency; final 12 months, he hit a powerful .281/.315/.411 (96 wRC+) in 289 PA in that context, however this 12 months, he’s at .171/.171/.268 (20 wRC+) via 41 PA, properly under the .183/.256/.317 (57 wRC+) he hit with two strikes throughout his Dodgers days.
The Cubs, who’re additionally with out proper fielder Seiya Suzuki for the subsequent few weeks as a result of an indirect pressure, have recalled 22-year-old heart fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Twentieth-ranked prospect on our High 100 listing. A 2020 first-round choose acquired from the Mets within the Javier Báez commerce on the ’21 deadline, Crow-Armstrong is taken into account an elite heart fielder who’s fearless on the basepaths and may produce a minimum of common energy, albeit with a ton of strikeouts; he could possibly be a five-tool star if he may study to deal with pitches on the prime of the strike zone.
Crow-Armstrong hit a mixed .283/.365/.511 (127 wRC+) in 73 video games at Double-A Tennessee and 34 video games at Triple-A Iowa final 12 months, however went 0-for-14 with three walks and two sacrifice hits in a 13-game stint with the Cubs that primarily concerned coming off the bench. He was scuffling at Iowa this 12 months, hitting .203/.241/.392 (54 wRC+) with a 28.9% strikeout charge and only a 3.6% stroll charge, however 5 stolen bases. “The outcomes haven’t been nice,” supervisor Craig Counsell stated of Crow-Armstrong’s time in Iowa. In Bellinger’s absence, Counsell is prone to combine and match the rookie and the veteran Tauchman, each of whom are lefties, with the righty-swinging Canario additionally within the combine. “This can be a spot the place Pete can do issues that can assist you win baseball video games, and that’s not simply hitting. That’s what we’re going to take a look at,” stated Counsell.
Significantly with Michael Busch off to a scorching begin whereas enjoying first base, it doesn’t sound as if Crow-Armstrong is auditioning for a job that would push Bellinger to first, however that most likely relies upon upon how quickly the latter returns. In the meantime, Suzuki has begun gentle baseball exercise however isn’t anticipated again till mid-Might. Till then, the Cubs should attempt to keep their 15-9 begin with out two of their prime sluggers.