While the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds are already out of the postseason, each club will have one of their contributing players undergo surgery. As for the New York Yankees, their starting rotation will potentially take a big hit as they continue their playoff push.
Brewers' star Ryan Braun, who has been out for three straight games with a stiff back, will undergo season-ending surgery to address his injury. The slugger declined to disclose the exact issue he was experiencing with his back, but he told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he's been "dealing with it for a while" and has "known for a couple of months" that he'd need surgery in the offseason.
Braun, 31, was having a good season in 2015 and perhaps his best since the 2012. The former MVP was batting .287/.359/.503 with 87 runs scored, 25 home runs, 84 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 138 games in his ninth MLB season.
In Cincinnati, the MLB's steals leader received similar news as Braun. Billy Hamilton, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury this year, will also undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Reds' GM Walt Jocketty also told Rosecrans that there's no structural damage and Hamilton will be ready to go by spring training. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reported the 25-year-old will have arthroscopic surgery to clean out his right shoulder after meeting with Jocketty, manager Bryan Price and head trainer Paul Lessard.
Hamilton was limited to 114 games this season and batted .226/.274/.289 with 56 runs scored, 4 home runs, 28 RBIs and an MLB-leading 57 stolen bases.
But perhaps the worst news comes out of New York. The Yankees, who are dealing with various injuries and issues to their starting rotation, aren't having their plans go accordingly with Nathan Eovaldi. The right-hander was shut down two weeks ago due to elbow inflammation and the team hoped he could begin throwing on Monday.
They'll have to wait a bit longer.
"The Yankees' starting pitcher still feels some soreness in his right elbow, which is suffering from inflammation," writes Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. "The Yankees shut him down two weeks ago, hoping the soreness would clear up. But, instead, they're going to wait another week before letting him attempt to throw, manager Brian Cashman said."
Eovaldi was 14-3 with a 4.20 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 27 starts (154 1/3 innings) before going down with the injury. He leads the AL in winning percentage among starting pitchers and New York was hoping to get him back in the rotation, but the issues seemingly continue to mount with Masahiro Tanaka's recent injury, CC Sabathia's ailing knee and Ivan Nova's struggles.
The Yankees sit 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East and hope to gain ground in their remaining two games against the division rivals this week.
