Eugenio Suárez was sent for x-rays on his hand after being hit by a pitch during tonight’s loss to the Tigers, D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic). Suárez later told Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free-Press and other reporters that the x-rays came back negative. He remains day to day, but that’s a huge relief for the D-Backs and teams that are targeting the star third baseman as a deadline pickup.
Suárez was hitting in the top of the ninth against Detroit right-hander Will Vest. He took a 96 MPH fastball off his right hand and was in obvious discomfort. The trainer appeared to be looking at Suárez’s right index finger, and he winced in pain when the trainer touched it. Blaze Alexander entered as a pinch-runner.
The D-Backs already dodged a bullet earlier in the month when Suárez was hit by a pitch on his left pinky finger during the All-Star Game. That only resulted in a contusion. Tonight’s HBP was on the opposite hand. Further testing is still to come but it appears that Suarez and the Snakes may have averted disaster for a second time this month. A serious injury would have been awful timing. Suarez is one of the top trade candidates ahead of Thursday’s deadline. In fact, MLBTR just put him in the #1 spot in our recent Top 50 list.
The Diamondbacks have suffered a large number of injuries this year, which have cut into their competitive chances. They are now 51-56 and 6.5 games back of a playoff spot. They have pivoted into sell mode, flipping guys who are nearing free agency. They’ve already traded Josh Naylor to the Mariners and Randal Grichuk to the Royals.
Suárez is the most attractive of the guys they have available this week. He’s been one of the hottest hitters on the planet for over a year now. Dating back to July 7th of last year, he has hit 60 home runs. He has a .274/.331/.598 batting line in that time and 151 wRC+. His defense at third base is subpar but he’s be the best bat available across the league.
His contract is notable but not egregious. The Snakes picked up a $15MM club option for his services this year. That leaves about $5MM left to be paid out. If Arizona wants to maximize the prospect return, they could eat some of that to take the burden off the acquiring club. Suárez has already been connected to clubs like the Phillies, Mariners, Reds, Cubs and Yankees. The Yanks are presumably out after getting Ryan McMahon instead, but the market for Suárez should still be strong.
If further testing does reveal some kind of notable injury, it would obviously be a blow to the Diamondbacks and the clubs who are hoping to acquire him. For the Snakes, they would at least have the chance to make him a qualifying offer at season’s end. If he were to reject that and sign elsewhere, they would get a compensatory draft pick. They are surely hoping to get more value than that by trading him in the coming days, but it would at least be a viable fallback plan.
Ideally though, the crisis has been averted and Suárez can be part of a headline-grabbing deal in the coming days, netting the Diamondbacks some future talent to help them bounce back from this rough season.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
The extra WC. Gambling scandals. And injuries. All 3 working together to destroy the trade deadline.
Or to improve the trade deadline!
Trade deadlines have been bad in all major sports lately. These general managers act like they’re negotiating an international conflict. Go back to taking some risks, trading some big names and making this more entertaining. It is suppose to be exciting after all. They’re not curing diseases. Just my opinion.
It’s a side effect of expanded playoffs… Waters down a 162 game regular season.
You’re conditioned to expect trades. Just let it be.
Yikes!
Man these r positive that is two huge deadline targets off the board tdy between him and Clase
Unfortunately there is a fracture. Terrible news for Arizona as he was gonna get them some legit prospects. Now he’s gonna stay put and be a free agent over the winter. D-Backs get nothing for him.
B…https://x.com/EvanPetzold/status/1950005929547538826
Guess you should disregard whatever source you got that info.
Article says otherwise
Well, he has been hit in the hand about 3 or 4 times counting the AS game. So, the odds have caught up with him if there is a fracture.
5 teams just went Noooooo……………………………………D Backs # 1
Timing couldn’t have been worse!
Tigers trying to get a discount for him?
So much for that prospect haul
Has 2/3 of the league ever collectively held their breath like this?
If we can’t have him…..
Brutal. The likely injury. Tte toning. Everything.
Crazy that he was a main target of the tigers
Only fair thing now is that the Tigers have to give up their 2nd and 5th best prospects for him.
I bet the D-Backs get the results out ASAP so their deadline isn’t ruined.
I wonder if this encourages more teams to pull the trigger on deals sooner or sit players they intend to trade. Arizona must be pretty upset about it. Even if the X-Rays come back Negative they won’t get as much as they could have
Wow. This deadline is gonna suck.
Why would ya play him at all right now? Wouldn’t you want to protect from injury to get the best package possible? This was just dumb
Being a D’Backs fan that was the question a lot of people here are having. But it is what it is.
@Desert Maybe FO and manager don’t see eye to eye? I don’t follow the snakes too much but could there be a Moneyball (Billy Beane vs Art Howe) situation where the manager was told to bench Suarez and he said no…..
Well, I don’t think he will be in the lineup tomorrow since there is no fracture as just been reported. His finger will be swollen and sore for a few days..
Ya got lucky
Hazen and Lovullo are as close as any GM/manager combo in MLB.
Why would they let Suarez bat in the 9th inning of a game they are down 5-1 or even have him in the lineup having already thrown in the towel on the season with him being your best trade chip after already trading a pair of players!
No periods were harmed in this article!
“No periods were harmed in this article,” but a couple of exclamation points were in your comment.
Hahaha that last sentence got me
Yikes. Ryne Sandberg RIP.
Luckily for teams that were interested in Suarez, Yoan Moncada is still available.
You’re funny!
Tigers screwed themselves on that HBP. They seemed to be the current front runners for Suarez. No mas!!
Did they? Haven’t hardly heard Detroit mentioned. Local sports radio in Detroit was questioning whether Harris was going to add anyone.
Prime example of why you don’t have to wait until the last minute to make trades.
AZ gm f****d this up.
Last pitch as a DBACK
Marcell Ozuna has been taking reps at 3rd and LF.😉 Phillies might trade Castellanos. Not a good glove in the bunch.
X-rays came back negative on Austin Riley last year, then a MRI discovered the hairline fracture in his hand! So you really can’t go by initial test results, especially x-rays!
I concur. If I am a GM thinking of trading for him I’d better have CT or MRI results first.
Riley missed the rest of the season.
And by the way, Suarez “himself” is the one reporting that X-rays were negative..not a team Doctor or even the manager!
Here is the article from Steve Adams from MLBTR last August:
August 19th, 2024 at 11:59pm CST • By Steve Adams
The Braves announced Monday that Austin Riley has been diagnosed with a fractured right hand that will sideline him for six to eight weeks. With just under six weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, it could very well prove to be a season-ending injury for the two-time All-Star. Riley was hit by a pitch in yesterday’s game, and while initial imaging was inconclusive, an MRI performed Monday revealed the fracture.
So, I concur also to get more MRI results if a team is considering to trade for him!
Negative or not this prob just hurt the haul the diamondbacks were hoping to get
Negative x-rays are a good sign.
As I have been saying I think the Snakes will put and high price on him and if someone matches or beats that price they’ll trade him. If not they’ll keep him.
Why would they keep him? He’s a FA end of year they aren’t going anywhere this season it would be a huge missed opportunity if they did that.
Suarez is expected to sign a 2 year $50M+ or 3 year $70M+ — which after the Dbacks offer a qualifying offer and he refuses — they will receive a competitive balance pick in the 2026 draft.
So whatever they get for him will have to be worth more than that pick.
They will get more than that pick worth and nowhere has mentioned a possible extension, quite the opposite.
There is no chance the snakes keep him… less than o%. This report just changes how many prospects they get for him. Still going to be a haul… what a fall from grace for Arizona. Welcome to the suck club! Im a Cards fan so I can say this
No high price anymore. He’s a 2 month rental with a jacked up hand. Not even enough time before deadline for serious bidders to have their own doctors xray.
I imagine this would slow down any potential trade happening.
Whew!
Geno himself said there’s no fracture..
He also said that he’s getting more tests so it’s not the end of the story yet.
Exactly why holding onto a player until the very end is risky and unneeded. You know what Suarez is gonna give you, tell teams that he’s being dealt by a set date (not later) and have your offers in with one chance to better the best offer. Wouldn’t risk more injuries by keeping him around until the 31st.
Tigers injuring this guy so none of their competition can get him. Now that’s playing chess, not checkers.
How is this guy not bubble wrapped until the deadline?
I guess no one else cares that the pinch-runner who was put in is named Blaze.
I guess no one would know that of the 39 batters that Rollie Fingers hit by pitch out of 6970 pitches if he ever hit anyone on the fingers?
The deadline is saved!
This is why you don’t wait right before the deadline to trade like it’s some law. They are a 4th place team under .500. He should have been traded at the all star break.
So negative is good?
They are not positive that it will be negative. X-rays were negative, but a positive fracture during a MRI or CT scan would definitely be a negative for the Snakes! That wouldn’t be good, it would be very bad!
This is positive!