Reynaldo Serrano
The biggest blow was the loss of shortstop Reynaldo Serrano for the first half of the season. He was injured in a collision with former Blazer Tsu-bahr Hru while attempting to turn a double play against the Phoenix Talons, suffering a partially torn labrum. After successful completion of strength and conditioning training at the club's development complex, it was hoped that Serrano could stay on the field this season; perhaps they should've taught him collision avoidance instead. Serrano hit .373/.407/.529 in 54 plate appearances during spring training
Umar Dogar
Three days before Serrano went down, the club placed starting pitcher Umar Dogar on the injured list as a precautionary measure for some minor back stiffness, anticipating that he would be fully healthy for Opening Day. Unfortunately, the injury has lingered and now doctors are at a loss to predict his return date. Dogar earns the team's highest salary and is a critical piece of their pitching rotation. It is expected that that the team will employ a four-man rotation initially in hopes that he can return before a fifth starter is needed in mid-April.
Jeffrey Loring
The club signed Jeffrey Loring with expectations that he would provide infield depth behind Serrano. Loring's BBA debut will have to wait after he sustained a sprained ankle while running the bases at Boise last week. He's expected to miss two weeks, but sprained ankles can be tricky.
Jedidiah Marzuq
The Blazers top prospect, Jedidiah Marzuq, widely expected to contribute at some point this season, missed the second half of spring training with shoulder tendinitis and is still two weeks away. Marzuq will begin his 2063 campaign at AAA New Jersey when he returns. Last season, he hit .293/.375/.452 (121 OPS+) with 34 doubles, five triples, twelve homers, and 50 steals in AA. During a September callup, he hit .269/.367/.462 (120 OPS+) in 30 plate appearances.
Maximo Gousto will take over shortstop to begin the season. He'll be backed up by Enver Kuscu, who had a career year last season as an infield reserve for the Blazers. Gousto's glove is top notch, but he won't hit like Serrano. Last season, Gousto hit .261/.292/.348 (72 OPS+) in 24 plate appearances as a September callup. Kuscu hit .266/.302/.405 (87 OPS+) with three triples, fourteen doubles, and seven steals in 265 plate appearances.
