Eugenio Suarez was hit with a pitch during the Arizona Diamondbacks’ game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night and it couldn’t come at a worse time. According to Evan Petzold, Tigers reliever Will Vest hit Suarez in the hand with a 95.6 mph fastball and he didn’t even try to stay in the game.
UPDATE: X-rays on Suarez's finger came back negative, but he needs additional testing on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
If Suarez will miss some significant time, it will greatly impact his value with a few days left before the MLB trade deadline. I don’t think it will affect his availability, but it will certainly affect a return if he’s not available at the time of the trade or will not be available before the postseason.
Suarez was in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career with the fourth most home runs (36) this season. He was the most talked about player ahead of the trade deadline. Though the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t come out and say they were making him available, it was clear he was going to be a target for nearly every contender. That could change now with his injury.
Arizona Diamondbacks lose Eugenio Suarez at the worst time with season in limbo
The Diamondbacks season is hanging by a thread and losing Suarez right now isn't ideal. Arizona is currently 6.5 games outside the NL wild card. That means they were probably selling at the deadline anyway with Suarez at the top of the list. Because they haven't publicly been fielding offers, they were probably planning on keeping Suarez through the deadline. Now they may not have a choice.
Best case scenario for the Diamondbacks is that Suarez doesn't miss any significant time and can propel this team to make a late summer push for October. The Diamondbacks are already struggling with him. Without him, they need to seriously consider selling and recouping some solid prospects.
How does Eugenio Suarez injury affect Arizona Diamondbacks MLB trade deadline plan
Suarez's injury could drastically impact how the Diamondbacks will treat the deadline. If they don't plan on moving him now, if he's out for a month or so, the Diamondbacks would have no reason to keep him around. They're struggling to win when he's healthy, with him out of the lineup, they're a lost cause.
I'm not sure who else would be on the Diamondback's shortlist of players to offload for prospects in return, but this absolutely throws a ripple into their plans. The Diamondbacks need Suarez healthy not just to stay competitive if they opt to keep him, but also to drive up his price. With is short term availability in question now, their deadline plan could be in shambles.