Reds infielder Mike Moustakas has been on the injured list since May 19 due to a right heel contusion, and his recovery has now hit a setback. Manager David Bell told reporters (including The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale) that Moustakas re-aggravated his initial injury and is back wearing a walking boot.
It’s a tough turn of events for Moustakas, who just began a minor league rehab assignment this week and was seemingly closing in on a return to the field. Bell did note that Moustakas’s heel issue didn’t involve a tear in his plantar fasciitis, though more will be known about Moustakas’ status (such as a possible recovery timeline) when he is re-evaluated next week.
Due to both this injury and a minimal 10-day IL stint due to illness in April, The Moose has only played in 28 games this season. Moustakas has hit .241/.337/.437 over 102 plate appearances in his second season with the Reds, this year playing only at third base and first base after Cincinnati experimented with him as an everyday second baseman in 2020. While Moustakas has been an above-average hitter (102 OPS+, 110 wRC+) thus far, his hard-contact numbers are down and his .335 wOBA is significantly higher than his .296 wOBA, though it is hard to draw any real conclusion over a sample size of only 102 PA.
The Reds are on a six-game winning streak, bringing their record to 35-31 and within two games of the NL Central lead. A healthy Moustakas would be a nice boost to a team that is planning to contend for another postseason berth, and Moustakas’ return would likely see Eugenio Suarez moved from third base back to shortstop. Suarez and regular shortstop Kyle Farmer have been the two weakest links in a Reds lineup that is among the league’s best in several batting categories.
RIP Steve Nebraska
This guy has been a lost cause since he was signed … I like the guy but he is ALWAYS injured. Him and Nick Senzel probably play Marco Polo in the trainers hot tub .. he’s productive when playing but that’s ….. never
I tend to agree. The Reds aren’t missing either one right now. A lot of money wasted. Like you said, both can be productive when healthy (which isn’t often).
Ozuna for moose. Who says no ?
Reds remember they traded chapman for nothing after a similar issue. Even without that history I highly doubt any team will be open to trade for ozuna at this time
Similar issue? Did Moustakas shoot himself in the foot?
Ozuna will more than likely be suspended for the season. There’s also a chance his career is over. His wife could drop the charges, but the problem is police witnessed the incident making it a potential felony. Deals can be struck to avoid a felony, but no matter how you look at it, Ozuna will be in a fight for his career. An informative article by Sheryl Ring, Esq.@Ring_Sheryl Jun 7, 2021, 9:00am EDT is very informative.
The situation between Ozuna & his wife is toxic. There is a history of domestic violence between the two, including police reports. It begs the question, did the Braves do their homework before they dished out a $64 mil. contract?
They turned Adam Duvall into a cornerstone player so I’d think some degree of desperation motivated that signing. Coming off a good year and his price was dropping, they jumped.
O Grand Salami, I concur the signing of Ozuna was delayed & desperate. I just hope the Braves FO was aware of the situation between Ozuna & his wife & provided a clause to protect themselves. Ozuna’s wife, as the victim, could choose to drop her charges & not testify against her husband. However the police, who heard screams, entered through an open door & witnessed the assault. If their video cams were on, Ozuna is toast (jail time?). That being said, AA claims they will be spending money. Gallo or Marte are a couple of potential choices, what say you?
They’ve proven to be quick to bring up promising minor leaguers. Wonder if we’ll see Barrero soon to replace the struggling Farmer.
If the police witnessed the assault, his wife can’t drop the charges by refusing to cooperate. The state is technically the plaintiff, not the victim. They can prosecute with the officers providing evidence of the assault. At least that’s how it works in Ohio, and I’d bet it’s the same in every other state.