Cincinnati Reds OF Jay Bruce suffers fractured wrist

July 11, 2009 @ 01:01:09

By Tim Piotrowski
Edited by Tim Heaney

Mark Sheldon, of MLB.com, reports Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce (wrist) suffered a fractured right wrist while trying to make a catch Saturday, July 11. He will return to Cincinnati for further examination. It is not known how long he will be out.

Bruce was trying to make a sliding catch in the first inning Saturday when his glove jammed into the grass and the wrist bent backwards.

Prior to Saturday's game, he was hitting .208 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 82 games. He had struck out 62 times and walked 30 times in 298 at bats.

From a fantasy perspective, Bruce will miss a considerable amount of time because of this injury. General manager Walt Jocketty said during the FOX Sports telecast that Bruce will probably be out four to six weeks if the fractured wrist diagnosis is confirmed.

Fantasy owners should place him on their disabled list when the Reds do it. Owners may have to wait for his power numbers to come back when he returns to the lineup because a fractured wrist could affect his swing. Bruce owners should make long-term contingency plans for their fantasy outfield.

Already seeing more playing time than the other two outfielders this month, Chris Dickerson could be a decent pickup to replace Bruce in NL-only formats and for those desperate in extremely deep mixed leagues; he can contribute some steals and score runs hitting near the top of the order.

The players most affected by Bruce's injury are outfielders Laynce Nix and Jonny Gomes, who could split time in a platoon setup while Bruce is out of the lineup if the Reds don't make another move. Prior to Saturday's game, Nix was hitting .249 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 181 at-bats. The lefty hitter would presumably have the advantage for playing time during a platoon setup.

The righty-hitting Gomes has played well in limited action so far in 2009. He was hitting .307 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 88 at-bats, but he's a career .240 bat who's hitting .250 against righties this year. Still, owners in NL-only leagues should monitor these two players because they could be good pickups to provide small power contributions while Bruce is out.

The Reds could also look to their Triple-A Louisville club for an outfield replacement, which could be impact bat Chris Heisey, Drew Stubbs or Darnell McDonald. Stay tuned to KFFL.com's Hot off the Wire to see how the Reds will replace Bruce.

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Tim Piotrowski
Piotrowski has been a Hot Off the Wire analyst since 2007.

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