Earlier this year, I noted how 2020 served as a make or break season for Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer.
Injuries have hampered the development of Cleveland’s 2014 first-round pick, as Zimmer has only made brief appearances with the team over the past two seasons. He entered spring training hoping to stand out among the Indians’ hoard of outfielders, a tricky task considering how much rust he’s collected rehabbing from 2018 shoulder surgery.
Zimmer needs everyday at-bats in the majors, and needed to earn these despite having the deck stacked against him in February.
Looking back, it’s jarring how much Zimmer’s situation has changed since then. Thanks to circumstances outside his control, the hand he’s been dealt has gotten considerably worse.
Basically, whether there’s a season or not in 2020, Zimmer appears to be stuck in a lose-lose situation.
Casey Drottar is an Cleveland Indians writer for Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook