Oregon St. catcher Andrew Susac, who had to leave the game Sunday against Arizona, has been determined to have broken a small bone (the hamate bone) in his left hand. The knob of the bat rolled onto the back of Susac's hand, while fouling off a pitch. Susac will eventually have to have surgery, which will require a 5-6 week post-operative recovery and rehab period. It is yet to be determined when that surgery will occur, as Susac is being eveluated about possibly still being able to perform as a designated hitter or pinch hitter this season.
The injury means Parker Berberet will be the primary catcher the rest of the way for the Beavers, with both Ryan Gorton and Jake Rodriguez getting some work.
Susac's loss will be a challenge to cope with, as he leads the team in RBI's and batting average, and is the co-leader in home runs. Berberet is more than serviceable both at bat and behind the plate, but Susac's arm is unquestioned in the Pac-10. So far, only one attempts to steal second has been attempted with Susac behind the plate, and Andrew threw that runner out.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com