Junior center fielder Matt Fraizer – who has been ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s best overall player this season – is out indefinitely after breaking his hamate bone, Wildcats coach Jay Johnson announced.
Fraizer, who’s batting .412, suffered the injury while taking a swing during his second-to-last at-bat Sunday against Utah. He was in street clothes during ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s 14-10 victory over New Mexico State on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field.
“It’s like losing a quarterback that’s averaging 400 yards a game and throwing five touchdowns, or whatever Steph Curry or LeBron James do, averaging 32 a night,†Johnson said. “Luckily, we have some depth on the position-player side of it. But you can’t really quantify losing Matt right now. He was really coming into his own. It hurts.â€
Fraizer, who retooled his swing during the offseason, has a team-high 28 RBIs – matching his total from last year. He had hit safely in 18 of 19 games, including a 13-game streak during which he batted .448. Fraizer also is tied for the team lead with five stolen bases.
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“Matt was playing to the vision of what we thought he could get to when we recruited him and probably even a little bit more,†Johnson said. “He’s a really dynamic player that affects the game in a lot of ways.â€
The hamate bone can be found at the base of the hand, near the wrist. It’s a common injury for baseball players to suffer. The recovery time can range from four weeks to two-plus months. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s final regular-season series is May 23-25 at Washington State.
The Wildcats visit No. 1 UCLA for a three-game series starting Friday. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (13-7) won its third in a row Tuesday night. Sophomore Donta Williams shifted from left field to center in place of Fraizer.
Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at 573-4148 or mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter @michaeljlev
Michael Lev
Sports Reporter/Columnist
