Ender Inciarte likely done for season, Per Report

Already dealing with an injury to one leg, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Ender Inciarte has developed a new injury to the other. With both his left and right quads now experiencing issues, the Braves acknowledged that Inciarte likely is out for the rest of the 2019 season. While an official confirmation is still to come, there likely is just not enough time left this season for the Braves to truly trust Inciarte’s health.

It is just another tough bit of luck for the franchise that has already lost Charlie Culberson for the season. Johan Camargo’s availability also remains in serious doubt. The rash of ailments has certainly depleted the depth that the Braves were looking forward to having during these playoff series. While these players may not be the types of talent that could alter a series on an individual level, they each provided potential advantages for the Braves to feature in critical playoff situations.

While Inciarte has been a polarizing figure in terms of his role and value to the Braves, the roster is certainly weakened due to his absence. His defense, base-running, and left handed bat certainly would have been useful to utilize in the postseason. While his production in the field and on the base paths have remained consistent, the frustrating thing for Inciarte is the inability to shake his injury struggles, especially as his offense was beginning to pick up in early August.

After being out for nearly two months due to back issues, Inciarte returned to the Braves in the middle of July. After a first half in which he produced a .623 OPS, Inciarte stormed back with a vengeance, producing a .931 OPS in 90 second half plate appearances. True to his career splits, Inciarte’s second half surge could not have come at a better time as other outfielders went down with injuries. However, while successfully scoring a run on August 16th against the Dodgers, Inciarte pulled up lame after crossing the plate, and has not played again since.

The debate regarding Inciarte’s future with the team will likely be a storyline in the offseason. Overall, in 2019, Inciarte finished with a .246/.343/.397 line, good for a .740 OPS and a 0.6 WAR season. While he had his struggles, his successes propelled the Braves to many victories earlier this year. If this truly is the end of his season, it is a shame it had to happen this way.

Stick with us here at Talking Chop for further confirmation regarding Inciarte’s status.