9-News: 40.039 – Hip Flexor Sidelines Lopez

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9-News: 40.039 – Hip Flexor Sidelines Lopez

Post by RonCo » Fri Oct 18, 2019 6:03 pm

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Young 2B Upset Over Setback


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After years of being bad-mouthed in the Yellow Springs press, maybe you can forgive 23-year-old Juan Lopez for being perturbed at the injury that’s put him on the bench for the past week. “It was a pretty severe strain,” said manager Bill Inkster of the injury—which happened as he legged out a run-scoring double in a game with California. Though the club has not yet put Lopez on the injured list, the issue has kept him on the bench for a considerable amount of time for the past two weeks.

It’s an issue that Lopez has chosen to keep silent about, and, to a degree, you can understand why.

The injury is a big deal for Lopez because, until that point, the season had been going about as well as you could have hoped…and Lopez can hope for a lot.

And you might remember Lopez as the big mega-prospect in the deal the Nine made that sent catcher Eric Fabre to Edmonton, whereupon Fabre became an All-Star and a solid piece of a Landis winning ball club. Lopez was one of two main parts the club received in return—the other, Mauro Saucedo, and a nice albeit brief few years before losing his job to Abdeljilill Sediki. Lopez, however, was supposed to be the gem—a 5* guy (per the ratings back then). Surefire, can’t miss. A funny thing happened on the way to the dance, though. Lopez’s scouting reports never seemed to budge unless it was to adjust potential down, and his numbers (starting with .216/.294/.326 in Rookie League play) were basically horrid.

It was about this time that beat reporters covering the Nine began to whisper, then grumble, and eventually shout that the kid was not going to make it, and that he was on his last legs. It was a refrain that was repeated in 2036, and 2037, and again in 2038. And, as a 22-year-old last year, that was about right. Juan Lopez did not seem long for Yellow Springs.

2039, however, saw Lopez finally put up some decent numbers (in AAA, no less), and figuring it was now or never, halfway through the 2039 season, the team plugged him into the second base slot. The results were not horrible—a 105 OPS+ and a glove that at least held its own.

So, when 2040 opened, Lopez was handed the starter’s role, and for perhaps the first time in his life, he lightened up. In 166 plate appearances, he’s hit 5 homers, driven in 25 runs, and produced a .300/.361/.473 slash line. The glove continues to improve. Paired with LHB Sergio Martinez (.306/.333/.514), the two are a formidable semi-platoon system.

Martinez, of course, has been getting most of the reps lately, though Lopez did manage a 2-for-4 day in Seattle. And he’ll probably get a similar dose of playing time this week—though some are suggesting AAA infielder Roberto Viramontas could be called up to hit left handed pitchers for a week or two if the injury lingers.

But for now, no one will really know if that injury is lingering except for him, his doctor, and one assumes, his manager. Because Juan Lopez is keeping his distance from reporters today. He’s drinking the 5th, as he quipped a couple days back.

And who can blame him?
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