Dansby Swanson sustains partially torn ligament in left hand, NLDS status in jeopardy
Dansby Swanson's status for the Atlanta Braves' National League Division Series is in serious jeopardy after suffering a partially torn ligament in his left hand on Tuesday night. Swanson sustained the injury during an at-bat against Noah Syndergaard, eventually being forced to leave the game and return to Atlanta to meet with the team's hand specialist Dr. Gary Lourie.
The 24-year-old shortstop will remain in Atlanta through the end of the regular season to undergo treatment and will be reevaluated next week.
Swanson has struggled at the plate this season, slashing .238/.304/.395 with 14 home runs, but he's an up-the-middle centerpiece for one of the best defensive units in baseball. His 11 defensive runs saved rank sixth-best among MLB shortstops this season.
The injury forces utility standout Charlie Culberson into the starting lineup with the playoffs one week away. The 29-year-old's surprising offensive production — hitting 14 percent above league with a .279/.330/.486 slash line — could provide a boost to the Braves' lineup, but it would severely downgrade the team's postseason bench options if Swanson is unavailable.
This would not be new territory for Culberson, who stepped in for star shortstop Corey Seager during the Los Angeles Dodgers' postseason run last season and performed well.
Still, after becoming the first National League team to clinch a playoff berth, one of the Braves' top priorities was remaining healthy during the final week of the campaign. Now Swanson's unfortunate injury throws Atlanta's postseason plans in limbo.
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