Unfortunately, Chris Valaika suffered a broken hand for triple-A Louisville. Valaika had been scuffling early in the season and this will only hinder his efforts to right the ship during the 2009 season.
"Chris Valaika was placed on Triple-A Louisville's disabled list with a broken right hand.Valaika will be in a cast for four weeks. Between the injury and his early .161/.210/.290 line, Valaika won't be a candidate to solve the Reds' shortstop woes any time soon. He's not likely to see big league action before September call-ups."
At this point, Alex Gonzalez and Paul Janish are doing a nice job holding down the shortstop position at the MLB level, so there isn't a pressing need for Valaika. However, it would be nice to see Valaika settle into a position full time and earn a promotion to the majors. Clearly, that will have to wait a while longer.
Tough break for Valaika... But it isn't as if he was tearing up AAA. Just seemed a bit overwhelmed. Hitting miserably and 4 errors to boot. Looks like he may not have what it takes the play SS, maybe 3B/2B?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of 3B, can you explain why Francisco is hitting third at Carolina? With his offensive game, I can't see him hit any higher than the 5 hole.
Hey Roc,
ReplyDeleteYeah, I share your doubts about Valaika at short. I think he'll be stretched at the position. And, with Phillips seemingly set at 2b for the foreseeable future, I'm not sure where Valaika fits. I don't think his bat plays well enough to hold down the hot corner.
As for Francisco, I'm still not as high on him as some. I think the larger question is why he's still at the hot corner. I just don't think his skills and body type will enable him to stick over there. As for his offensive game, I think the Reds should be very concerned about his K/BB ratio. At double-A, it currently sits at 34/5, which is a serious hindrance.
At this point, I doubt he has the glove for third and I'm not sure he has the offensive production to be a 1b. I'd seriously consider dealing him for a player/prospect who better fits our needs.
Unfortunately, it seems that Dusty has taken a real shine to Francisco, so a trade may be unlikely.
Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Best,
Lark