The Dodgers beat the Marlins on Friday night (LAD 7, MIA 1), and Miami lost more than just the game. Franchise cornerstone Giancarlo Stanton suffered a hand injury on a swing-and-miss in the sixth inning and kept on playing, but had X-rays Saturday morning.
Our Jon Heyman has confirmed Stanton broke a bone in his hand:
Giancarlo Stanton suffered a fracture in hand. @Ken_Rosenthal first with news. Very rough blow for marlins/MLB #marlins
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 27, 2015
Stanton explained to reporters after the game:
"My bat dug into my hand a little bit. It didn't feel the greatest. Just get checked out and then know for sure what's going on."
He initially suffered the injury in the sixth but remained in the game. Stanton grimaced in pain during an at-bat in the ninth:
Manager Dan Jennings was hopeful before the X-rays:
"They want to take a look at his hand or wrist. We'll see. I don't know anything right now ... Hopefully, it's something he just tweaked a little bit in one of his swings."
Obviously any kind of hand or wrist injury is a big concern for a hitter, especially one as big and strong as Stanton. Simply put, if you can't grip the bat properly, you won't be able to swing properly. Hand and wrist injury can linger for a while too, sapping stength even after doctors clear the player to return to the field.
Friday's loss dropped the Marlins to a disappointing 30-45 on the season. They're 11.5 games back of the NL East lead and 10.5 games back of a wild-card spot. Climbing back into contention is a long shot as it is. Losing Stanton for an extended period of time will make it close to impossible.
Stanton, 25, leads baseball with 27 home runs and 67 RBI. He went 0 for 4 on Friday and is hitting .265/.346/.606 on the season. Despite missing time with various injuries over the years, Stanton still owns a career .547 slugging percentage and 181 career home runs. He's a power-hitting marvel.
