Rangers general manager Jon Daniels revealed today that third baseman Adrian Beltre played the final three-plus months of the regular season and the postseason with a torn ligament in his left thumb.
It was known that Beltre had a thumb injury, but the severity was unclear and ... well, it’s remarkable how well he played with a torn ligament. Beltre suffered the injury in late June, at which point he had a sub-.700 OPS, and then he hit .318 with 11 homers and an .884 OPS in the second half.
Beltre suffered a back injury in Game 1 of the ALDS versus Toronto and played the rest of the series at significantly less than full strength, gingerly making his way around. To know that he was also dealing with a torn thumb ligament--and had thrived playing through that injury for months--is amazing for the 36-year-old should-be future Hall of Famer.
