PITTSBURGH – When the Cincinnati Reds saw their postseason hopes fading during September, Jesse Winker cut short his rehab assignment from an intercostal strain to try to ignite the team.
Winker lasted four plate appearances before he reaggravated the injury on a swing. The injury ended his season, playing in only one game after Aug. 15.
He doesn’t regret trying to rush back from the Injured List. He wanted to help the team. But it was a disappointing end to an incredible season where he was selected as an All-Star Game starter and proved he was one of the best hitters in the National League.
“Obviously finishing on the IL, personally isn't how I wanted this to go,” Winker said, “and then not being able to really play down the stretch was not fun at all. Honestly, the season ended, personally, the exact way I never wanted it to end. So, I don't really know how to describe that besides that.”
As much pride as Winker takes in his transformation as a player at the big-league level, becoming an everyday starter in left field and showcasing the power in his swing, injuries have been an unfortunate theme.
He hasn’t played more than 113 games in a season. A shoulder subluxation ended his 2018 season. He had a neck strain in 2019. He was healthy throughout the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but this was another season where he ended on the IL.
