Braves Starter Broke His Hand Throwing Dugout Punch
(Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
Sunday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers didn't go well for Atlanta Braves starter Huascar Ynoa. The 22-year-old received more bad news less than a day later.
Ynoa broke his right hand when he punched the dugout after exiting yesterday's start. He'll miss at least a couple months
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 17, 2021
">According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, along with multiple other reports, Ynoa broke his right hand on Sunday when he punched a bench in the Braves dugout out of frustration. The 22-year-old phenom left the game after just 4.1 innings that saw him give up nine hits and five earned runs. However, he's now added a serious injury to the hand on his throwing arm, which will set back his breakout season a few months. Early estimations indicate that Ynoa will miss at least two months, but it's possible that he could be out for a longer period of time. "It's a shame," Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said when addressing the media,
Huascar Ynoa broke a bone in his pitching hand when he punched the dugout bench in frustration after coming out of Sunday's game. He will be out a couple of months, #Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "It's a shame," Snitker said. "Probably nobody that feels any worse than him."
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) May 17, 2021
">per David O'Brien of The Athletic. "Probably nobody that feels any worse than him."
Prior to the 2021 season, Ynoa made just 11 appearances for the Braves. He turned in a handful of shaky outings and appeared unprepared to face major league hitting just yet. However, he got the call-up for the start of the 2021 campaign and has taken the opportunity in stride.
So far this year, Ynoa has been just one member of the Braves star-studded, young rotation. In eight starts, he's gone 4-2, with a 3.02 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 179 batters faced. He's also proven to be one of the better hitting pitchers in the National League, going 6-for-17 with 2 home runs in his plate appearances.
But now, Snitker and the Braves will need to manage without Ynoa for the next few months. Atlanta will need to make some adjustments to the starting rotation in order to stay competitive in a jam-packed NL East.
