D-Backs' A.J. Pollock out indefinitely after fracturing right elbow
Bad news for the Diamondbacks: Center fielder A.J. Pollock fractured his right elbow sliding into home plate April 1. He underwent surgery on April 5, and will be sidelined indefinitely.
An innocent looking slide into home plate turned disastrous for the Diamondbacks on Friday night.
Center fielder A.J. Pollock, who has been nursing a sore right elbow all spring, suffered a fractured right elbow on April 1, the D-Backs announced. He underwent surgery on April 5, and the team does not have a timetable for his return. Needless to say, Pollock will out for quite a while.
An MRI earlier this spring showed no structural damage in Pollock's elbow. He returned to the lineup Friday night for the first time since March 8. The D-Backs played it very safe with Pollock, and they were planning to ease him back into the everyday lineup once the season started.
Here's the play in which Pollock suffered the fractured elbow. It looks like any other slide into home plate:
It looks like Pollock may have hurt himself when he was pushing himself up off the ground after completing the slide. As you can see, he grabbed his right elbow and was in obvious pain. Pollock walked off the field with trainer Ken Crenshaw and was replaced in center field in the next half inning.
With Pollock out, Socrates Brito figures to step into center field on an everyday basis. David Peralta and Yasmany Tomas will flank him in the corners. It's worth noting infielder Chris Owings played some center field Friday night and could be an option there going forward.
Arizona went all-in this past offseason, spending big to sign Zack Greinke as a free agent and acquire Shelby Miller in a trade. The Dodgers are dealing with all sorts of injuries, so the NL West is there for the taking at the moment.
Pollock, 28, is the team's second-best position player behind Paul Goldschmidt, so it goes without saying losing him is a devastating blow. Especially since outfielder Ender Inciarte was included in the Miller trade.
Last season Pollock hit .315/.367/.498 (132 OPS+) with 39 doubles, 20 home runs and 39 steals. That earned him his first All-Star Game selection.
