Sacramento Prayers Mid-Series Report: May Ends, Injuries Mount, and June Begins
By Gemmie Nye, Sacramento Sports Chronicle
The Sacramento Prayers (38-16) have completed the month of May and have played the first game of their series against the Fort Worth Spirits. Despite losing key players, the Prayers finished May strong with a 16-13 record and currently maintain the best record in baseball (.704 PCT). Their AL West lead is now
5.0 games over the Seattle Lucifers (33-21).
Major Off-Field News: Double Injury Blow
The Sacramento roster has been decimated by injuries, significantly complicating the team's ability to maintain its league-leading status:
- Left Fielder Eli Murguia has been diagnosed with a fractured finger and is out for 2 months, placed on the 60-day DL. Murguia was the team leader in both AVG (.319) and RBIs (tied for team lead with 34).
- Second Baseman Edwin Musco remains out for 4-5 weeks with elbow tendinitis (1 day left on his current DL stint).
- Second Baseman Hector Iniguez is also out for one week.
This leaves the team without its top hitter and its top run-producer for the foreseeable future, forcing major, non-ideal lineup changes.
Offensive Response and Lineup Shift
In the wake of Murguia's injury, the Prayers' offense will need to rely on its remaining stars. The new lineup now feature
Camden Liston and
Logan Hicks at the top, and
Alex Mendoza stepping into a starting role against both right-handed and left-handed pitching.
- Alex Velasquez has responded by stepping up his production, now tied with Murguia for the team lead in RBIs with 34. He also leads the team in home runs (9, tied with Bret Perez).
- Bret Perez maintains a high average (.297) and leads the team with 18 SB. His RBI total is up to 23.
- Luis Martinez remains a high-impact player, with a team-leading 2.3 WAR.