Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Prior to the start of the 2013 MLB season, Cameron Maybin was a fairly solid sleeper pick for a major breakout candidate.
This was, after all, a former top prospect who was only one year removed from a 4.2 fWAR, 9/40 season for the San Diego Padres, and one that had to deal with a down year in 2012 as Maybin was slowed by wrist issues that caused him to miss four games over different points of the season. A bounce-back year in his age-26 season past the 10/40 barrier would not have been difficult to imagine.
However, it might be some time yet before the Padres get another glimpse of that potential.
Simply put, Maybin wrist just hasn’t been right, and it only took a brutal .091/.167/.121 start through his first 37 PA in 2013 before he landed on the 15-day DL with a wrist impingement. Worse yet, it does not appear to be getting any better:
Following earlier Tweet, #Padres Cameron Maybin has right wrist in a splint and had a cortisone injection. Will need 2 weeks, if not longer.
— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) April 20, 2013
Now, cortisone shots can be rather magical things (just ask Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals), but the results of said injections are vary greatly depending on the individual, and if they have received the treatment before. Could Maybin come back in the middle of May as though the injury never happened, and go on to smash a career-high 15 home runs? Sure.
On the other hand, well, wrist impingements are not pretty things, especially when it comes to sports like baseball where batters are expected to impact the area every time they hit with a bat. Aside from the range of motion that can be affected, the ailment could also be detrimental Maybin’s hand speed … which is basically to say he might have a hard time getting adjusted at the plate even when he returns.
San Diego are hopeful it won’t come to that. Still, it’s a disappointing development for sure, and another slight step back in the outfielder’s up-and-down career.
