Steven Souza Jr. Injury: Updates on Rays OF's Hand and Recovery

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Steven Souza Jr. suffered a fracture in his left hand after being hit by a pitch from Joe Kelly of the Boston Red Sox in the fifth inning of their game Saturday, August 1. The Rays announced they have placed Souza on the disabled list.

Continue for updates.

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Souza Hits the 15-Day DL

Saturday, August 1

The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Twitter that Souza was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday.

This is not the first time Souza has run into problems with his hand. On July 5 against the New York Yankees, he suffered a gash on his pinky after being hit on that same left hand, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He did not return until July 21.

With the first opportunity of his two-year career to gain regular playing time in right field, Souza was batting .212 with 15 home runs and 34 RBI in 88 appearances entering Saturday's game.

Souza brings a reliable glove to the field. One of his finest moments as a pro came during his time with the Washington Nationals, when he made a diving catch to secure Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter in September 2014.

Brandon Guyer will likely step in for Souza, as the team lists him as its backup right fielder. In 79 games this year as a utility outfielder, Guyer was batting .246 with four home runs and 20 RBI before replacing Souza on Saturday. While a bit of a downgrade in the power department, Guyer brings the same kind of speed, as both players have stolen 10 bases in 2015.

The Rays lose their starting corner outfielder yet again in a frustrating season that sees them in fourth place in the American League East with a 51-54 record, 8.5 games behind the division-leading Yankees.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.