'Scary' Concussions Causing Nationals' Keibert Ruiz To Think About Future As Catcher
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Keibert Ruiz has not been on the field for the Washington Nationals since July 5.
After getting hit in the head with a foul ball on June 23 when it ricocheted off the dugout wall, he was initially diagnosed with just a head contusion when the CT scan he underwent came back negative. But further testing caused the team to place him on the concussion list after he was previously placed on the 10-day injured list.
Ruiz was activated on July 4, but during that July 5 game, he suffered another concussion and has been away from the big league team ever since, working his way back and eventually getting sent out on a rehab assignment on Sept. 2.
It's safe to say the 27-year-old has been affected by these concussions both mentally and physically, telling Andrew Golden of The Washington Post (subscription required), "I feel like I left my team in a bad situation and I left them alone. That's something I don't want, but this is something special — the head. My brain."
Keibert Ruiz Could Change Positions At Some Point
It's no secret that playing catcher is not the easiest thing on the body, as it takes a special type of ironman to be effective both behind the plate and with the bat in their hands over the course of the long, grueling season.
The concussions Ruiz suffered has him considering a position switch at some point if he keeps taking hits like the ones he previously endured.
"I don't want to think too much about that because I'd be scared of catching," he said, per Golden. "But if, at one point, I'm getting too many hits [to the head] and I keep having this, I'm going to make a decision. But, for now, it's good."
That is an interesting statement by the former top prospect. Washington committed to him for the long haul when they secured him with an eight-year, $50 million contract extension ahead of the 2023 season despite his limited track record. But it's safe to say that has not gone well.
Ruiz has been one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball the past few years, and he has not made up for that with the bat in his hand. With him on the shelf, other options have emerged at that position, making him expendable depending on how the new regime views him.
While Golden added that Ruiz still wants to catch going forward (for now), one also has to wonder if playing that position is in the best interest for his long-term career.
Perhaps his offensive struggles can be attributed to him being behind the plate for a long period of time while he tries to produce with the bat in his hand on an everyday basis. So with him already eyeing the exit ramp when it comes to this position at some point, giving him some work at first base might not be the worst thing to do.
