It’s apparently “embarrassing injury day” for MLB relievers.
Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever David Robertson was left off the roster after he was injured celebrating Bryce Harper‘s home run the other day.
Phil Maton, a Houston Astros reliever, will miss the rest of the postseason with an even more embarrassing injury.
“Astros RHP Phil Maton fractured his fifth metacarpal Wednesday after punching his locker after a performance in which he gave up a hit to his brother. He has season-ending surgery Monday,” Our Esquina editor Jose de Jesus Ortiz tweeted.
Astros RHP Phil Maton fractured his fifth metacarpal Wednesday after punching his locker after a performance in which he gave up a hit to his brother. He has season-ending surgery Monday. pic.twitter.com/36o1wbbq0w
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) October 11, 2022
Last week, in a game between the Phillies and Astros, Maton gave up a hit to his brother Nick.
Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of that moment.
He punched his locker out of frustration and suffered the untimely injury for the Astros.
A Weird “Off-Field” Incident That Led To An Injury
Astros general manager James Click had stated that Maton was left off the team’s ALDS roster due to an “off-field” injury.
Now, we know the details behind it.
The injury came to his right pinkie finger, which is obviously important since it is on his pitching hand.
The 29-year-old Maton had a good season with Houston, posting a good 3.84 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and a 73/24 K/BB ratio in 65 2/3 innings (67 appearances) during the regular season.
There is no timetable for his return right now but he should be able to return in time for spring training.
The Astros have enough firepower in their bullpen to move on without Maton.
They have Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Ryne Stanek, and closer Ryan Pressly healthy and ready to go.
Those guys are more than competent to protect late-inning leads if needed.
NEXT: Jose Altuve Is Chasing An All-Time Great In Postseason History