Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers could be facing surgery on his dislocated left shoulder, putting his 2023 season in jeopardy, manager Bud Black told reporters Thursday.
Black said multiple MRIs have revealed that the damage to Rodgers’ shoulder was worse than originally thought.
“There’s trauma to the capsule into the joint and all the surrounding tissues that keep the shoulder intact and secure,” Black told reporters.
Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove Award last season, suffered the injury while diving for a ground ball during Thursday’s spring training game against the Texas Rangers. A trainer had to pop the shoulder back into place while Rodgers was on the field.
The 26-year-old Rodgers hit .266 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in a career-high 137 games last season. He was the third overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“I was going to quit referring to him as a young player,” Black said. “This is now his time. This setback is a tough one because I really do think that he was ready for a big year.”
With Rodgers out, Alan Trejo, Harold Castro and Cole Tucker could be competing for playing time, while third baseman Ryan McMahon also has experience at second base.
In other injury news, Black said reliever Lucas Gilbreath, who was 2-0 with a 4.19 ERA in 47 games last season, told reporters that he will likely have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2023 season.