May 21, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder
Wil Myers(9) at bat against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Just when things couldn’t get any worse for the Tampa Bay Rays, they have been rocked by the news that star outfielder Wil Myers is going to be out for at least two months.
Myers has a slight stress fracture in his right wrist. He injured the wrist Friday night against the Boston Red Sox when he collided with center fielder Desmond Jennings on a fly ball, a ball neither player caught and a game the Rays lost on that play.
He’ll reportedly be in a cast for five to six weeks before beginning a rehab program.
In 53 games this season, the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year is hitting .227 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.
Although Myers hasn’t played quite as well as expected this year, his presence in the line-up will be sorely missed. The Rays are 25th in the majors with only 218 runs scored and are 22nd in batting average at .243.
Over their last five games, the Rays have scored a mere four runs. They are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.
Kevin Kiermaier will likely get a significant increase in playing time now and there are reports that Ben Zobrist will also get playing time in right field too.
The Rays have been crushed by injuries this year and the most logical player to have taken Myers’ spot in the line-up is on the disabled list himself. Brandon Guyer is still out with a fractured left thumb and his return date is still up in the air.