Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Kiermaier Exits Game With Hip Injury

A slide into first base by Tampa Bay Rays center-fielder Kevin Kiermaier proves costly, as “The Outlaw” will miss the next two months.

In the Tampa Bay Rays‘ final game of the series against the Chicago White Sox, Kevin Kiermaier exited the game in the sixth inning with a jammed left hip

Kiermaier is expected to miss at least two months due to the injury, so we will not see him again until August, if all things go according to plan.

Colby Rasmus and Peter Bourjos will see extra playing time in Kiermaier’s absence. While Rasmus brings some extra pop to the plate, we already have enough of that as it is.

Rasmus filled in nicely for Kiermaier in last night’s contest. He only had one at bat, but he hit a moonshot to the right field seats.

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The addition of Colby Rasmus to the everyday lineup will bring extra power to the heart of the order, but he also comes with extra strikeouts.

Rasmus has not seen a season with a strikeout rate below 25% since 2012. Even though his power will be a nice addition, the Rays could really use an on base guy.

I love home runs as much as the next guy, but home runs with people on base are even better.

Kiermaier was just starting to heat up, batting .364 with a 9.1% strikeout rate in June. It is a shame to see him miss extended time, especially just after hitting his groove.

The Rays needed Kiermaier  now more than ever, entering the most important stretch of the season. We do not face a team with a winning record until the Baltimore Orioles on June 29th. So, we must pick up as many of these upcoming games as possible. Matt Duffy, Brad Boxberger, and Brad Miller are all due back sometime this month. When they all come back, we will be the healthiest we have been all season.

Next: Lucius Fox running up Tampa Bay Rays prospect rankings

However, it may all come to nothing because we will be missing the Kevin Kiermaier, the spark plug of our team, an offensive catalyst, and a defensive superstar.