Last night, Mets catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud took a foul tip off the top of his foot. He was later removed from the game. Today, he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the first metatarsal bone. The approximate amount of time he will miss has not been determined.
This could be a serious injury considering how much that area of your foot flexes when you get into a crouch.
Obviously, this is a big loss for the Mets, even though John Buck‘s hot start mitigates it a little.
d’Arnaud has had a history of injuries that has limited his time in the minors. This one was a freak thing that simply is part of the life of a catcher. Hopefully he will lose a minimum of time.
I’m not the only person who thinks this is great, right? We’ve gone from potential starting catcher debate that derails one of the hottest hitters in the game right now to giving said hottest hitter some more job security. Why would anyone, right now, treat this as a bad thing?
Because I am who I am.
I’d be more worried about Buck’s history of being mediocre derailling him more then anything else. If Td’A is out most of the season, do the Mets still trade Buck, especially if he remains hot? If T’dA is out the whole year, do the Mets hold him back next year, preventing his arbitration clock from starting? He’d be FA eligible when he is 31! Lots to consider rather then thinking about the bullpen.
You bring up an intriguing point, Dan — one that I might just turn into a post. Thanks!
My answer is maybe. If he remains hot, and the Mets can get a quality return, yes. After all, we are in punt formation, even though Alderson has told us that we are going for it. So, lets make up for Reyes and punt. Get Almonte from the Yankees!
Let this be a warning to those who say the Mets should allow their stud prospects to establish themselves before bringing in other parts. Sometimes stud prospects get hurt and never establish themselves. Next thing you know you have punted three or four seasons and you still have nobody to get excited about. D’Arnaud should be able to recover but this pushes his development back even further for a prospect who is already older then many established stars.
Dan,
Yes, absolutely, and this is what nauseates me about the baseball team I follow. Winning organizations aim to win each and every year. They don’t, of course, but that is their aim. They do not punt on any given season until a significant portion of the games have been played. They don’t put all the eggs on “prospects” or “money coming off the books” or tarot cards. They really never need to “reset” or “break it down”. They focus on having a strong pipeline of talent AND a competitive team at the top level, and as a bonus they can also walk and chew gum simultaneously.
Isn’t all that catcher armor supposed to protect the instep? Seems like I see foul balls go off the catcher’s feet all the time.
My wife, who is an expert on these kinds of things, believes Citi Field was built on an Indian burial mound (she did not accept my explanation that it’s landfill). As a result, the spirits have decreed the Stems will never win anything so long as Citi Field stands. I used to think it was nonsense.