David Fletcher has been dealing with nagging hip issues since Spring Training that has caused him to miss plenty of time so far, but the Los Angeles Angels look to address the issue as they announced the utility infielder underwent surgery to correct the issue.
He will be out until at least late July as he recovers.
Fletcher was hitting just .158/.220/.263 with a 42 wRC+ and zero WAR in 14 games played and the Angels have needed to call on veteran Andrew Velazquez to fill his role as a defensive stopgap in the lineup.
Fletcher was originally diagnosed with a hip strain but following a meeting with a specialist, it was determined that surgery was the best route for the 27-year-old.
The Angels and their training staff believe they have a solid plan in place with Fletcher moving forward, according to J.P. Hoornstra of the O.C. Register:
Head athletic trainer Mike Frostad said Fletcher will need “a couple months” to get back on the field. That projects to a return around the All-Star break, July 18-22.
“The surgeon (Dr. William Meyers) is very optimistic, and he’s done hundreds of these procedures and seen guys come back with no issues,” Frostad said. “We’re anticipating once he’s healthy he’ll be back with us the rest of the year.”
Fletcher missing time early in the season could be beneficial and could give him a bit of a reset button on the year after playing through this injury during Spring Training and for a few weeks this season.
Groin injuries in baseball are incredibly tricky and they’re best to address early on, rather than play through them, and in Fletcher’s case, his surgeon wanted to get ahead of potential issues down the road:
Fletcher’s injury was originally listed as affecting his left hip, but Frostad said it is not uncommon for both sides of the groin to affect a baseball player with Fletcher’s type of injury.
“Usually if one (adductor) is bad the other one’s bad too,” Frostad said. “It’s good to get them both fixed now instead of doing one now, because down the road if he needs it it’s another length of time he has to miss. Doing both today was not the worst idea.”
Fletcher has been like a swiss army knife for Manager Joe Maddon, but his elite glove and bat-to-ball skills would be incredibly useful in lengthening this high-powered Angels lineup. They are hopeful he will return to form down the stretch and could act as a midseason acquisition for the team with high playoff hopes.
Austin Warren underwent nasal surgery
The Los Angeles Angels will be without Austin Warren for an undetermined amount of time after a pregame accident in Boston last week.
Warren was a key piece to the Angels bullpen in 2021 and provided manager Joe Maddon with a reliable option after posting a 1.77 ERA, a 1.033 WHIP, and a 4.00 K-to-BB ratio in 20.1 innings.
But this season has been a bit of a grind for the 26-year-old and will be put on hold for a procedure to repair a fracture from an errant baseball during batting practice before a game against the Boston Red Sox.
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