Winker done for the year

What Happened?

On Thursday, the Reds placed outfielder and Rookie of the Year candidate, Jesse Winker, on the 10-day disabled list. Winker will require season-ending surgery on his right shoulder as the result of an injury suffered in Monday night’s game against the Cardinals. Winker was on first during the Reds’ 2-1 comeback victory, when Tucker Barnhart sent a line drive to right field that nearly hit Winker. To avoid getting plunked and called out, Winker dove to the ground where he suffered his injury. The official diagnosis was right shoulder subluxation.

The Rookie Sensation

Before the injury, Winker slashed .299/.405/.431 with an OPS of .836, good for third amongst rookies across the MLB. In the National League, the only player with a higher OPS is Nationals’ outfielder Juan Soto, who has played in 33 fewer games.

Outside of a month-long slump in May where he hit .174, Winker hit over .300 in every month. In 16 games in July, Winker was as hot as a player could possibly be. He slashed .442/.517/.615, numbers that could only be described as video game numbers. He has followed in Joey Votto’s footsteps when it comes to getting on base. The rookie ranks fourth in the majors trailing only Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and of course, Votto.

(Photo Courtesy: WTOP)

While losing Winker for the season is a tough pill to swallow, this is not the Reds’ year and the sooner Winker gets surgery, the sooner he can work on healing for the 2019 season. He remains a key in the Reds’ rebuild and will look to build off his Rookie of the Year-worthy first half.

Williams Returns to the Show

To fill Winker’s spot on the 25-man roster, the Reds have selected Louisville outfielder Mason Williams. Through 87 games, Williams boasts a .280/.341/.418 slash line with an OPS of .759. The Reds signed Williams in November 2017. Williams spent his entire career in the New York Yankees’ organization since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

Williams made his major league debut on June 12, 2015. He has only played in 25 games at the major league level across a three-year span. He has collected 18 hits in 64 at-bats while tallying three walks and 17 strikeouts. With Scott Schebler still injured, he may see more playing time than expected. When Schebler returns from his DL stint, he will most likely be sent back to Louisville, but until then, he will have a chance to show the Reds why they signed him in the offseason.

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