The Nationals placed outfielder Austin Kearns on the disabled list Wednesday morning. The 29-year-old has a bruised right thumb, an injury he has a long history with. Kearns missed 71 games in 2004 thanks to a serious thumb injury he originally suffered in 2001 as a minor-leaguer with the Cincinnati Reds.
It’s another blow to a player who has endured a miserable 2009. Kearns was in contention for a starting outfield spot in spring training. But by May he had been passed on the depth chart by Josh Willingham and struggled just to keep his head above water. Kearns is batting .195 with three homers and 17 RBI – and only two of those RBI have come since May 7. It is by far the worst season of his career and comes after a rough 2008, where Kearns hit .217 and was limited by elbow and foot injuries and missed 57 games.
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Teammates – and even front-office officials – have been vocal in support of Kearns all season. He is well liked and has handled his struggles professionaly. But it is also clear that his career is in jeopardy now after two down years in a row. He is a free agent at season’s end and won’t come close to the $8 million he makes now. Likely, Kearns will have to battle in spring training just to make a 25-man roster in 2010.
To replace Kearns, the Nats have recalled outfielder Jorge Padilla from Triple-A Syracuse. Padilla, 29, is batting .367 and was Triple-A All-Star this season. His first appearance in a game for Washington will mark his big-league debut.
