Arizona Diamondbacks C Tuffy Gosewisch to undergo season-ending knee surgery
Jun 1, 2015, 11:55 PM | Updated: 11:56 pm
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The in-game announcement only confirmed what had been expected: Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch suffered a full tear of his left ACL.
His 2015 season is over.
“Yeah, I knew before tonight that it probably wasn’t good,” he said, standing in front of his locker just moments after the D-backs had lost to the Atlanta Braves, 8-1, on Monday.
Earlier, Gosewisch had seen D-backs Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Gary Waslewski.
Surgery, according to Gosewisch, is expected to be performed later this week.
“Obviously, it’s rough, but just trying to think about getting back stronger and doing everything I can to come back healthy,” he said.
Gosewisch had hurt himself in the sixth inning of the team’s 4-3 loss in St. Louis last Wednesday while trying to run out a ground ball.
Initially, the injury was called a jammed knee, but an MRI the next day in Milwaukee showed an ACL injury and Gosewisch was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Dr. Waslewski made the final diagnosis.
“It’s awful. Sad,” manager Chip Hale said. “Guy has busted his tail to get where he’s at. Did a great job helping our staff get better, and now he’s lost. It just stinks for him.”
The loss of Gosewisch leaves Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Reno three days ago, as the team’s main catcher. He signed with the D-backs as a minor league free agent on May 8 following his release by the Miami Marlins.
“The hard thing for Salty right now is, the poor guy is like just dropping a guy in a parachute right in the middle of an island,” Hale said. “He hasn’t had any experience with our pitchers. Tuffy worked with them all spring, all spring he worked with them and learned what they liked to throw. So, we’re trying to get Salty up to speed, and he’s doing great job so far for us back there, (but) it’s tough.”
This is where Gosewisch, however, can lend some assistance.
“Hopefully, I can help the team just be a positive influence in the clubhouse and do whatever I can, maybe scouting report wise or help some pitchers out and talk to pitchers,” he said. “We still have a relatively young team. It just helps to talk to guys. I’ll be here to listen and offer any advice I can.”
Gosewisch, who was hitting .211 with one home run and 13 RBI on the season, had earned the starting catching job coming out of spring training.
The former Arizona State Sun Devil had waited two years for this opportunity.
“It is what it is, and I can’t control that,” he said. “I was out on the field trying to make a play, that’s all I ever try to do. It happened in the middle of the game. Just one of those things where you land funny and it doesn’t go your way. But, obviously, my situation was good where I was at. Hopefully, I can come back and get a chance again.”
