Yasmany Tomas out with strained oblique

Diamondbacks outfielder Yasmany Tomas has undergone an MRI and was diagnosed with a strained oblique, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.

Tomas was expected to only be out for a few days, as the injury didn’t appear as severe as originally feared. However, the 26-year old has already missed a week due to what started out described as “back soreness”. His lack of ability to bounce back

It makes sense why the Diamondbacks want their right fielder back. Tomas slashed a .272/.313/.508 last year and hit a substantial 31 home runs. He also struck out 136 times, showing that while the power is there, he needs to be more patient behind the plate. His defensive skills are also still below average. On the off chance that he won’t be ready by Opening Day, Arizona could look elsewhere for a cheap veteran player to fill the void for a bit. They also have a handful of internal options such as David Peralta and outfielder / catcher combo Chris Herrmann.

In 2014, Tomas signed a six year, $68.5M contract with Arizona after playing professionally in Cuba for five years. There is no timeline yet on his return, as it is all dependent on how much rest he takes and how fast his body can heal. Oblique issues have been known to linger and cause trouble down the line, so if Tomas doesn’t try to rush his return to the field, he should be solid for the remainder of the season.