Keibert Ruiz’s 2022 campaign ended in early September, when the 24-year-old catcher suffered a testicular contusion, the result of a foul ball which caught the backstop in the groin.
“He’s pretty much shut down for three weeks,” Ruiz’s manager Davey Martinez announced the next day, which meant the No. 1 catcher in Washington, D.C.’s second season with the Nationals was over at that point.
Getting the catcher back on the field took a back seat to just making sure he was healthy going into the offseason after the young receiver caught the bulk of the games for the Nats in his third big league run.