How great was the effect of injuries on Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2014 results?
Oct 23, 2014, 9:24 PM | Updated: 9:25 pm
In baseball, overcoming key injuries is about as necessary as breathing. Over the course of 162 games, important players are more than likely to fall to injury at one juncture or another.
The 2014 Arizona Diamondbacks weren’t alone in bearing such a burden.
The sheer volume of the injuries suffered, however, ought to be considered in hindsight evaluations of the team.
To wit, 15 D-backs players spent part or all of the season on the disabled list. Here’s a look at that list:
• Starting pitcher Patrick Corbin missed the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• Relief pitcher David Hernandez missed the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• Relief pitcher Matt Reynolds missed the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• Pitcher Daniel Hudson missed the first 136 games of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
• Outfielder Cody Ross missed the first 19 games of the season while recovering from a hip injury suffered in 2013. Later in the year, he missed another 39 games with a strain in his left calf.
• Outfielder Mark Trumbo missed 72 games while on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left foot.
• Relief pitcher J.J. Putz missed 33 games while on the disabled list with forearm tightness.
• Center fielder A.J. Pollock missed 80 games while on the disabled list with a fractured right hand.
• Infielder Cliff Pennington missed 55 games while on the disabled list with a thumb injury.
• Third baseman Eric Chavez retired after being placed on the disabled list with a knee injury 65 games into the season.
• Outfielder Ender Inciarte missed seven games while on the disabled list with a concussion in 2014.
• Infielder Jordan Pacheco spent 26 games on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis.
• Starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo missed the final 90 games of the season while on the disabled list as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
• Infielder Chris Owings missed 57 games while on the disabled list with an ankle injury.
• First baseman Paul Goldschmidt missed the final 52 games of the season while on the disabled list with a broken hand.
A glance at that list doesn’t tell the whole story, however. Here’s a look at the injury effect, by the numbers:
9
Only nine players from the D-backs Opening Day 25-man roster stayed on the active roster for the entire season. Here’s a list of those players: Josh Collmenter, Randall Delgado, Tuffy Gosewisch, Aaron Hill, Wade Miley, Miguel Montero, Oliver Perez, Addison Reed and Brad Ziegler.
19
Injuries forced the D-backs to rely on 19 rookies at some point in 2014. The volume of rookies played set a franchise record and came in second to the Rangers’ 23.
136
Catcher Miguel Montero led the team in games played, with 136. Of all team leaders in games played, Montero played the fewest.
650
D-backs rookies combined to play in 650 games in 2014. That mark led the majors.
1,380
The 15 D-backs players who saw the disabled list in 2014 combined to spend 1,380 days on the shelf. Only the Texas Rangers spent more cumulative days on the disabled list.
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