The Looming Return of Jonathan India

Time Stamp: June 8, 2022 8:36 AM

Jonathan India spent most of the 2021 season as the glue that held the Reds lineup together. For a while, he was the leader in OBP and was the spark that often got the Reds going. He spent a good portion of the season as the leadoff hitter and looked to stick to that role as the 2022 season began. But only 44 plate appearances into the season, the injury bug struck him. Now, eager Reds fans, staff, and players await the looming return of Jonathan India.

The Injury

Jonathan India is known for his grit and toughness. He has played through a bunch of injuries in his short time as a Cincinnati Red. For him to miss extended time like this, the injury must be pretty serious. On April 14, he suffered a right hamstring injury that has left him sidelined for nearly two months. Before the injury, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year was slashing a very respectable .295/.311/.341. He had yet to hit a home run but he had tallied two doubles in his 44 plate appearances.

Hamstring injuries are notorious for being nagging injuries that will affect a player long after they have returned to play. With the Reds struggling as a team in what appears to be a rebuilding season, they are in no rush to risk their star second baseman’s health. The decision to be overly cautious is a wise one in this instance, though many fans and even India may disagree.

The Return and The Impact

India recently underwent a very important MRI.

All the results came back clean. That means he has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment for the Triple-A Louisville Bats. India is set to begin his rehab assignment on June 7. He is penciled in to bat third and play second base for the Bats.

This is a very important step in the rehab process, as many hamstring injury reaggravations would happen quite early on in the return process. With that being said, he needs to play a few games with no pain or discomfort and the Reds will begin to work him back to the Major League club. He is going to be a huge addition to a diminished and struggling Reds ballclub.

His return is going to provide hope for a positive future. He is a likeable player that was dominant in his rookie year last season. He absolutely obliterated fastballs, hitting 14 of his 21 home runs on fastballs. India was in the top 15% in the league in OBP, with an OBP of .372. For a stretch of the season, he sat with an OBP that reached as high as .410.

Conclusion

His return is crucial for the Reds. Hopefully, it will jumpstart the team to a more successful last 100 games than the start. The Reds have the talent to be the third-place team in the division at the worst. There is no reason for them to be below the Pirates and the Cubs in the standings. Jonathan India will look to right the ship when he returns.

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