Think it was impressive Martín Maldonado showed the baseball aptitude to move closer to the plate and draw the hit-by-pitch that began the Astros’ winning rally in their World Series clincher?
Here’s what makes it more impressive: Maldonado has been playing with a broken bone in his right hand since the Orioles’ Joey Krehbiel hit him with a pitch on Aug. 28. He said after the Astros’ 4-1 elimination of the Phillies that he also will undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia next week.
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Maldonado, 36, missed two games after getting hit by Krehbiel, then returned to play in 30 more games during the regular season and postseason. He started 11 of the Astros’ 13 games in the playoffs, going 6-for-29 for a .207 batting average and .544 OPS.
“It bothered me a little bit,” he said of the broken bone in his hand, which is between his pinkie and the wrist. “Not much this series. The series before.”
The Houston Chronicle was the first to report the injuries.
Maldonado said he experienced the most pain when he was finishing his swing. He did not play in Game 3 of the Astros’ four-game sweep of the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, and also sat out Game 4 of the World Series.
However, he was behind the plate in the final two games against the Phillies, and the game turned after he was hit by Zack Wheeler leading off the sixth inning. The Astros scored all four of their runs that inning, their biggest blow coming on Yordan Alvarez’s three-run homer off reliever Jose Alvarado.
Even with the broken bone in his hand, even with his sports hernia, Maldonado was determined to keep playing.
“That’s what catchers do,” he said. “Grind it out.”
(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
Astros’ Martín Maldonado played with broken hand, will have sports hernia surgery
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