The Tampa Bay Rays received a couple pieces of bad news on Wednesday afternoon. One, they lost a blowout against the Kansas City Royals that ensured a losing homestand; and two, they announced infielder Joey Wendle had suffered a fractured wrist after being hit by a pitch:
#Rays say infielder Joey Wendle underwent X-Rays and has a right wrist fracture after being hit by pitch in the 6th inning
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) April 24, 2019
Wendle, who will turn 29 in a couple days, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year Award voting last season by hitting .300/.354/.435. He was unlikely to repeat those efforts no matter what, but so far the story of his 2019 season revolves around bad luck. This will mark his second stint on the injured list, as he'd previously missed nearly three weeks due to a strained hamstring. When Wendle had played, he'd hit .136/.240/.182 in 25 plate appearances.
There's no timetable on Wendle's return, but the Rays should be able to weather the storm regardless. Brandon Lowe has taken second base as his own, and it seems likely that shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Daniel Robertson will play better heading forward. Presumably the Rays will bring up Christian Arroyo, part of the Evan Longoria trade, to round out the roster, with Yandy Diaz also getting some action at the hot corner.
Wendle is the third Rays position player to be sidelined in the past week. Outfielder Austin Meadows is also on the injured list, while first baseman Ji-Man Choi has spent the past two days on the restricted list for "personal reasons." The Rays are also operating without incumbent third baseman Matt Duffy, who remains out due to a strained hamstring.
