Cleveland Indians’ Yan Gomes Done for the Season with Fractured Wrist

Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes suffered a fractured bone in his wrist after getting hit in the wrist during a rehab game Wednesday, ending his season.

Has there been a more snakebitten player in baseball this season than Yan Gomes? The Cleveland Indians’ catcher has endured injuries and epic struggles at the plate all year long, and is now going to miss the rest of the season after suffering a non-displaced fracture of the right wrist.

Gomes – who hasn’t played in an MLB game since he separated his right shoulder in the middle of July – was playing in an Eastern League Championship Series game for the Double-A Akron Rubberducks when he got hit by a pitch in the wrist. He was batting .333 (9-for-27) during his time in Akron. The recovery time for the injury, which does not require surgery, is six to eight weeks.

“I think it’s an understatement that a few things have gone wrong [for Gomes this year],” Tribe manager Terry Francona said Friday.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

The 29-year old Gomes slashed just .165/.198/.313  with 11 doubles, eight home runs, 32 RBIs, and a dismal OPS+ of 28 in 71 games in 2016. This marks the second year in a row that he has had a season shortened due to injury. Gomes missed a good chunk of of 2015 due to an MCL sprain he suffered in an April 11th game against the Detroit Tigers.

He rushed back for that injury, which really hindered his performance the rest of the year. Gomes had a .231/.267/.391 slash line with 22 doubles, 12 homers, and 45 RBIs in 95 games. It was huge step back for the backstop after winning the American League Silver Slugger award in 2014.

Chris Gimenez (.220/.278/.341, 4 HR, 11 RBIs) and Roberto Perez (.181/.282/.291, 2HR, 15 RBIs) have been adequate behind the plate in relief of Gomes, and have both picked a good time to get hot.

Perez (.300, 4 RBI over his past 20 at-bats) appears to be back to 100% after playing most of the second half still feeling the lingering effects of a broken thumb he suffered in April. His rehab was cut short when he had to be called up early after the injury to Gomes.

Gimenez (.286, 1 HR, 5 BB over his last 28 at-bats) has spent most of the year with the Tribe, and has played a key role in helping Trevor Bauer reach his full potential.

Next: What You Need to Know About the Tribe's 2017 Schedule

Injuries and bad luck have really hindered the Gomes over the past two years, but the Brazilian signal caller still has potential to come back with a force. He is a former Silver Slugger winner, and has one of the prettiest swings in baseball (when healthy.) We’re all rooting for you Gomer.