Jason Kipnis had successful surgery on his left ring finger yesterday to repair a damaged tendon that he injured during offseason workouts. The injury occurred about a month ago after getting the finger pinched between a weight and the weight rack. Kipnis had a pin placed in the finger that will be removed in five to six weeks and have him ready for Opening Day. Although he will be able to participate in fielding and throwing drills at the start of Spring Training, he will not be ready to hit. This injury is a frustrating start to what Tribe fans are hoping is a bounce-back season from Kipnis.
Much has been written about Jason Kipnis’ struggles at the plate last season. After hitting .284/.366/.452 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs in his All-Star campaign in 2013, he hit .240/.310/.330 with just 6 home runs and 41 RBIs last season. The drop in Kipnis’ power is the likely result of an oblique injury he suffered which caused him to miss nearly the entire month of May. He was never the same player after his return, evidenced by the 3 measly home runs he hit from the day he returned on May 28th to the end of the season.
Much of Kipnis’ value comes from his bat, so hearing that he will not be ready to hit at the start of Spring Training cannot help ease the minds of those are unsure whether he will bounce-back in 2015. While the injury will not affect the rest of his offseason workout routine the exact timetable for his return is not certain, as the recovery time for this injury varies.
As soon as I heard of this injury I was reminded of Indians’ great Al Rosen, who won the 1953 AL MVP and fell one percentage point short of winning the triple crown. During the Indians’ magical 1954 season Rosen suffered an injury to his right index finger that forever hampered his ability to grip the bat and be an effective hitter. For those who are worrying that Kipnis may suffer the same fate as Indians’ great Al Rosen, fear not. The injury is not serious and barring any major setbacks Kipnis is expected to make a full recovery.
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