Braves utilityman Sean Rodriguez was involved in a scary car accident on January 28. His SUV was T-boned by a stolen police car, injuring his wife and his two children. It was initially reported that Rodriguez was unharmed, but unfortunately he suffered a serious shoulder injury that may cause him to miss the entire 2017 season, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Saturday that Rodriguez will undergo major surgery on his shoulder that will cause him to miss three to five months. O’Brien’s source says there’s a possibility Rodriguez misses the whole season.
As Ashley pointed out earlier, Rodriguez’s absence is a big reason why the Braves acquired veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Reds on Sunday.
The Braves signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $11.5 million contract back in November. The 31-year-old is coming off a career year with the Pirates during which he hit .270/.349/.510 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI over 342 plate appearances while playing every position except for pitcher and catcher.
