Injuries are part of baseball and every team will have to deal with some setbacks over the course of the year. Some are obviously detrimental while others may provide a valuable opportunity for a player ready to break out. Big name position player injuries get considerable attention but the impact on teams is typically overrated.
As seen below many teams that have lost a star player have continued at similar or even improved clips. Injuries to pitchers can be a bit more damaging but the impact is tougher to quantify. Most teams have very capable players to plug into the lineup off the bench or in the minor leagues if a key player misses time. If the injury lasts for several months an impact can be more noticeable but in the short term most teams can survive and even uncover a talented player. Many great players got their chance to see everyday action due to an injury to a veteran and it is not always a bad thing to shake up the lineup a bit. Here are some of big name players currently on the DL and a look at the short term impact.
Jorge Posada, C, New York (20-21 overall, 8-8 without Posada)
Posada has certainly established himself as one of the great catchers in baseball and he is coming off a career season, hitting .338 in 2007. Posada was hitting .302 before hitting the DL, and his loss should not be understated for his leadership and comfort level with the Yankees pitching staff. With that said, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang are the only Yankee starters that have pitched enough with Posada to expect an impact with the change. Mussina was typically caught by Jose Molina in many games anyhow and he is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in the last four starts since the Posada injury. Staff ace Wang has an ERA of 1.67 with Molina behind the plate versus a 3.93 ERA with Posada. Andy Pettitte actually has pitched best with Chad Moeller behind the plate giving two solid starts for an ERA of 1.93. With Molina, Pettitte’s ERA is 5.09 and with Posada it is 6.30. Posada’s bat has been missed but his absence can not be blamed for the poor record in New York.
Alex Rodriguez, 3B, New York (20-21 overall, 8-9 without Rodriguez)
New York’s offense has been very unproductive this season and an easy excuse is the injury to Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees lineup is missing last season’s MVP but New York is 8-9 in games without Rodriguez this season, a bit worse than the 12-12 record with him in the lineup. Rodriguez had produced good overall numbers on the season but was not close to approaching the hot clip he started the 2007 season at. Morgan Ensberg has certainly been a downgrade for New York, hitting just .224 with only one home run but the Yankees have had bigger problems to blame for the mediocre results.
Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado (15-25, 5-9 without Tulowitzki)
Troy Tulowitzki’s injury seems likely to take a toll on the Rockies and Colorado is just 5-9 since he has exited the lineup. It has been an awful season for the Rockies and Colorado had gone 2-9 in the eleven games prior to his injury so it can not be considered a major factor in the decline from the great run in 2007. Tulowitzki was hitting .152 on the season and although his defense and leadership will be missed he was not helping the Rockies win with his bat so far in 2008. Tulowitzki’s replacement Clint Barmes is hitting .337 so the Rockies and Barmes had great big-league success at the plate before his own injury brought an opportunity for other Rockies players. Barmes has made just one error in 13 games so far this season as well so his defense has been good enough to fill Tulowitzki’s shoes.
Hank Blalock, 3B, Texas (20-22, 11-5 without Blalock)
After a defining moment at the All-Star game a few years ago everyone is still waiting for Hank Blalock to be a consistent slugger for the Rangers. Blalock was hitting .299 with three home runs so he was off to a solid start but the Rangers were not. Since his exit however the Rangers have been hot and Blalock’s replacement Ramon Vazquez has been a big part of it. Vazquez is hitting .333 with 7 RBIs and 13 runs in just 66 at-bats. Those numbers best Blalock’s production in significantly fewer at-bats. He hit a walk-off home run in a recent game and his defense has been comparable so the Rangers may not need to rush Blalock back into action as long as the wins keep coming.
Josh Willingham, LF, Florida (23-17, 8-6 without Willingham)
The Marlins have one of the top records in baseball despite missing a key bat from the middle of the lineup in May. Willingham was a key part of the hot start for Florida hitting .341 with six home runs, 16 RBIs, and 16 runs. Florida is still playing great ball with veteran Luis Gonzalez playing everyday in left field. Gonzalez does not have quite the run-producing numbers that Willingham was delivering but he is actually riding a seven-game hitting streak and hitting .333 since moving into a regular spot in the lineup. Gonzalez provides a veteran presence and gives quality at-bats and the Marlins have not dropped off despite the shuffle in the lineup. Once Willingham returns to the plate, the Marlins can only benefit from having Gonzalez with more playing time under his belt.
