SPECULATOR: Early 2018 hidden injuries
May 2 2018
July 6, 2017. Xander Bogaerts was hitting .308 with 6 HR on the year when a Jacob Faria HBP changed the course of his season.
Bogaerts suffered a bruised hand, and while he missed just one game, he'd go on to hit .192 with 2 HR over the next two months. Bogaerts later admitted that he played with pain that didn't subside until September, but the damage had been done. Instead of a clean DL stint, Bogaerts' scant production was a major drag on his owner's active rosters throughout the slump.
Bogaerts' case isn't uncommon, as we're often forced to make roster decisions with incomplete information. Sometimes the player keeps a nagging injury from the club so he can stay on the field; other times, the team shields it or fails to disclose...
Almost!
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