Asdrubal Cabrera, Carson Kelly among 10 Diamondbacks on the Injured List
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been decimated by injuries recently. Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera went on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained right hamstring that he suffered Thursday night against the Miami Marlins. On Saturday, three more players went on the injured list. Right-handed reliever JB Bukauskas went on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. Another right-handed reliever — Chris Devenski — went on the 60-day list with a sprained right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Finally, catcher Carson Kelly went on the 10-day list with a left great toe tuft fracture. This move is retroactive to May 14. On Saturday afternoon, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carson Kelly spoke to the media about their injuries.
Asdrubal Cabrera
Asdrubal Cabrera said he’s feeling “very good right now.” Thursday night was very painful, but Friday night he slept well and is feeling much better today. He hopes to come back soon. As for the number of guys on the injured list right now, he said “it’s part of the game,” but he’s “never been on a team that has had this many guys go down in two months.” He added that they “need to stay positive” with the guys they have right now.
Cabrera was “scared” when he first went down. He feared initially that it was his knee, since he felt something behind his knee. But the doctors found out from the MRI that it was the tendon near the bottom of his hamstring. Cabrera doesn’t think that he will need surgery, given the way he’s walking around right now and how little pain he is feeling. In a few days, he will know for sure.
Carson Kelly
Carson Kelly said it’s “unfortunate” that so many players have gone on the injured list, especially recently. “You never want to see guys get hurt. It just (stinks) that it’s all happening at the same time. But over the course of a long season, it’s a tester. It’s a tester for our guys and for our team, seeing what we’re made of. It’ll be a battle going forward, but I have faith in our guys and our team to get us back.”
Kelly’s toe is “pretty painful” due to the amount of swelling. He does not expect to be out long, since there’s not much you can do with a fractured toe. Pain tolerance is going to be key. He will keep working with the medical team to get back as soon as he can but also needs to “be smart.”
Kelly said that catchers get hit in the foot all the time, but the pain eventually goes away. However, this one did not. “It kept throbbing, but I grinded through the game,” Kelly said. After the game, the medical team “got images” and found the fracture.
Pain Management
The team is experimenting with putting plates in the shoe. They are also experimenting with putting extra padding in the shoe and on top of the shoe, among other creative ways to try to alleviate any pain from in-game contact. They’re going to see how he feels with these methods before moving forward with the routine to return to the field. Ultimately, there isn’t much else they can do with it, since it’s his big toe. That appendage takes a lot of abuse in the daily course of life.
Anyone who’s broken a toe knows how painful it is, especially because there is so little anyone can do to treat it. Kelly said that the team has “kind of” mentioned that the pain from the injury can be something that nags him for the rest of the season. It “takes a while to fully heal,” but it’s up to him to do what he can to be smart and manage the pain.
Carson Kelly has been the best offensive catcher in the National League so far in 2021, so losing him is yet another blow to a physically ailing team. However, Kelly never wants to be sidelined, regardless of how he’s playing. “It (stinks) that I have to hang out for 10 days and try to get everything right. I feel like it’s something I can manage — pain tolerance going forward. But I’m going to do everything I can to get back.”
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players mentioned:
Asdrubal Cabrera, JB Bukauskas, Chris Devenski, Carson Kelly
