Michael Cuddyer out 6-8 weeks with shoulder fracture

Michael Cuddyer is hurt again for the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately this injury looks far more serious than the hamstring strain that landed him on the DL earlier this year.

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This news stings for any number of reasons. The Rockies have lost their clubhouse leader and a key bat in their lineup. Cuddyer brought power from the right side and this season he had done a nice job getting on base in the number two spot. Also, it came at the worst possible time for a team that has lost 10 of its last 11 games and is also without Carlos Gonzalez for the foreseeable future.

Worst of all? It came while Cuddyer was playing third base. The veteran fractured his shoulder diving for a grounder at a position he should never have had to play in the first place. Here is what he had to say about the injury (quotes from the Denver Post):

"“It’s tough to say how long I’ll be out. It’s a fracture like any other fracture, so they are telling me that it’s at least six to eight weeks to heal. That’s where we are.”"

It seems reasonable to expect that Cuddyer will be out closer to eight weeks. That is a problem for the Rockies in more than one way. If they somehow dig out of their current hole and play better baseball, they will have to do so without Cuddyer. Perhaps more importantly, this dings their chances to shop Cuddyer at next month’s trade deadline for a nice haul as he will likely still be on the shelf come the July 31st deadline.

The last three weeks have been disastrous for the Rockies. Add this bit of news to the list.