In a battle for the AL West title, the Houston Astros won over the Texas Rangers with an impressive 13-6 victory on Monday.
However, unfortunately the Astros were hit with a concerning news as key reliever Ryne Stanek suffered an apparent ankle injury that saw him being carted off the field.
Astros Manager Dusty Baker provided an update on Stanek’s condition following the game, stating,
“He’s being analyzed right now. I mean… it was ugly. You couldn’t really tell what happened; he had a late break over there.” : Said Dusty Baker
Astros reliever Ryne Stanek had to be carted off after rolling his ankle covering first base pic.twitter.com/BRs4oCZOIU
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 4, 2023
Stanek was trying to cover first base, while he twisted and injure his right ankle.
What makes this injury concerning is that it happened in a season when Major League Baseball (MLB) implemented changes to the bases, by making them wider in an effort to reduce injuries. although the alterations seemed to have positive effects in limiting injuries overall.
Baker expressed his concerns, saying, “The big bases, that’s the first time I’ve seen it hurt. I’m just hoping that nothing’s broken or nothing structurally wrong with it. We will have to see.” The larger bases were designed to enhance player safety and reduce collisions, but it appears that there are still situations where injuries can happen.
Ryne Stanek, a right-handed pitcher, joined the Astros team before the 2021 season, and was soon an essential part of their bullpen, helping the team win games.
In 2021, he showed how good he could be, and in 2022, he got even better, with a low 1.15 ERA when he pitched for 54.2 innings.
This year, in 2023, his performance hasn’t been as great, with an ERA of 3.88. Astros await further updates on Stanek’s condition, their focus will be on hoping for the best possible outcome.
