Two MLB stars suffered untimely injuries in the past few days, ailments that will surely alter the shape of the NL MVP race in upcoming weeks/months.
San Diego Padres star Manny Machado, who has been carrying his team in the absence of Fernando Tatis Jr., suffered a sprained ankle in an unfortunate play over the weekend.
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts had gone down days earlier.
“Two of the greatest stars in the NL West now out until July with #Padres 3B Manny Machado suffering a severely sprained ankle today just days after #Dodgers RF Mookie Betts sustained fractured rib,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted.
Two of the greatest stars in the NL West now out until July with #Padres 3B Manny Machado suffering a severely sprained ankle today just days after #Dodgers RF Mookie Betts sustained fractured rib.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 19, 2022
Machado is actually the MLB leader in Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, with an impressive 4.3.
MLB’s WAR King
5.0 is considered star-level when it comes to WAR outputs, so it’s fair to say Machado was on his way to flirt with the 10-WAR mark.
He is slashing .328/.400/.545 with 12 homers, 48 runs, 46 RBI, and seven stolen bases, coupled with phenomenal defense at third base.
Betts, on the other hand, was the star of a very solid Dodgers team.
He is fourth in the National League in WAR with 3.3, and is hitting .273/.349/.535 with 17 round-trippers.
His prognosis is much more favorable than that of Machado, since manager Dave Roberts recently said he is hopeful Betts can return in a couple of weeks.
Machado, on the other hand, didn’t suffer a fracture but his ankle is severely sprained.
His absence will surely extend to more than just a few weeks, although it shouldn’t be, by any means, a season-ending ailment.
In any case, the stars’ injuries should open the door for Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and other candidates to enter the MVP mix.
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