Indians' Jason Kipnis Diagnosed with Season-Ending Wrist Injury

Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is expected to miss the remainder of the season after fracturing the hook of the hamate bone in his right wrist, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com. 

Bell noted the injury will likely require surgery and that the typical recovery timetable is four to six weeks.

Kipnis left Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins due to right wrist discomfort and underwent an MRI on Monday.

Kipnis' career has veered off track since the start of 2017 when he was limited to just 90 games, and his .705 OPS was the second-worst mark of his career. He remained healthy last season, but only managed a .704 OPS in 140 games. 

The start of 2019 once again saw Kipnis battling injuries. The 32-year-old started the season on the injury list with an ailing calf. He's had a modest comeback with a .245/.304/.410 slash line in 121 games. 

At his best, he was one of the most valuable second basemen in the American League. His 9.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement in 2015-16 trailed only Jose Altuve (11.7) and Ian Kinsler (9.8) in the AL. 

The Indians' offense has rebounded after a slow start this season with Jose Ramirez getting back on track and the acquisition of Yasiel Puig in a July 30 trade with the Cincinnati Reds.

Meanwhile, utility man Andrew Velazquez was recalled and will start at second base during Tuesday night's game against the Detroit Tigers.