As if Washington Nationals outfielder Austin Kearns wasn't having a bad enough season, he'll now be heading to the disabled list for three to four weeks. Kearns will be forced to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his ailing right elbow.
It's been a nightmare season for Kearns. Heading into the 2008 campaign, hopes were high he'd would be able to emerge as a solid Major League outfielder and a consistent source of offense in the Washington lineup. But that simply hasn't happened. Before the injury, Kearns was hitting a paltry .187 with just three homeruns and 16 RBIs in 150 at-bats.
Originally a first-round draft pick (7th overall) of the Cincinnati Reds in 1998, Kearns has long teased with his immense talent only to run into injury problems and inconsistency at nearly every turn. During his first four seasons with the Reds, he never appeared in more than 112 games in any one year, with his best statistical campaign coming in 2005 when he clubbed 18 homeruns and 67 RBIs.
Kearns was traded to Washington in July of 2006. The move came during what proved to be the best season of his career, as between the two teams he combined to play 150 games while recording a career-high 24 homeruns and 86 RBIs. It appeared as though the Nationals had found a star. Kearns had another solid season in 2007, posting 16 homers, 74 RBIs, and a respectable .266 average. Unfortunately, this latest injury is just another setback to an otherwise promising career.
