Nationals Expected to Place Keibert Ruiz on 10-day Injured List Following Unfortunate Testicles Injury
Here’s a bizarre story that’ll make most baseball fans a bit squeamish.
Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is headed to the 10-day injured list after being hit in the groin by a foul ball in Thursday’s 11-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The team will recall prospect Israel Pineda from triple-A Rochester to serve as Ruiz’s replacement.
Ruiz was hit by an 86 m.p.h. slider that deflected off right-hander Ben DeLuzio’s bat in the second inning, redirecting the pitch down to the backstop’s most sensitive area. While he initially remained in the game, the 24-year-old ultimately left the game in the sixth inning, replaced by Riley Adams.
After the game, manager Dave Martinez revealed that the switch-hitting catcher was sent to a local hospital in St. Louis with swollen testicles. The rest of the club, meanwhile, waited until he returned before departing for the next stop on their road trip in Philadelphia.
Washington acquired Ruiz in a package from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner at last season’s trade deadline. The blockbuster deal also landed them Josiah Gray (Thursday’s starter), Gerardo Carrillo and Donovan Casey.
Unfortunately, the Nationals will be without their prized catcher for at least the next 10 days as he recovers from his unlucky injury. There’s however hope he’ll only miss the minimum required games before returning.
This season, Ruiz has hit seven home runs, 36 RBIs and posted a .251/.313/.360 slash line across 433 plate appearances. He also owns an 89 wRC+ and has been worth a career-best 1.6 fWAR.
The 6-foot backstop has logged 865.0 innings behind the plate during his first full season with the Nationals, the most he’s ever caught in a single campaign. His defense is still a work in progress, as he’s committed seven errors and registered a -6 DRS.
In the meantime, Washington will continue to operate with three catchers at the big-league level following Pineda’s promotion, joining Adams and Tres Barrera.
Pineda, who would’ve been eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if not added to the team’s 40-man roster, will now receive his first opportunity in the majors. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a breakout performance thus far, allowing him to rise quickly through the system.
After opening at high-A, slashing .264/.325/.443 with a 107 wRC+ in 67 games, the franchise’s No. 26 top prospect soared to double-A, where he lasted just 26 contests. Shortly after hitting .280/.340/.538 with a 134 wRC+, the young catcher was promoted to triple-A, making only another 26 appearances before heading to the show.
Now, Pineda will attempt to showcase his craft at the highest level of competition and the fourth that he has competed at in 2022. But with two other catchers on the roster, it may prove difficult to receive consistent playing time.
A tough break for Ruiz – quite literally – opens the door for another member of the Nationals’ improved farm system to prove himself in the majors, a trend that’s likely to continue throughout their rebuild.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.