SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Diamondbacks catcher Oscar Hernandez will be out an estimated six weeks after he was diagnosed with a broken hamate bone in his left hand.
Hernandez on Thursday will undergo surgery, performed by Dr. Don Sheridan, according to D-backs manager Chip Hale.
"It is what it is, control what you can control," Hernandez said Wednesday. "I'm not giving up. Just a block."
The 21-year-old, whose rights were owned by the Tampa Bay Rays before the D-backs selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, can go on the disabled list but will need to make the Arizona 25-man roster once healthy. Otherwise, he will be offered back to the Rays.
"If we would (keep him) would that mean we had to keep another catcher? That was the question," Hale said. "He was trending toward, (us) probably not having to because we were seeing, defensively, he was a pretty good catcher."
Hernandez said he was gaining confidence at the plate and learning his pitching staff before the injury. He admitted he had felt pain in his hand since Monday but decided he could play through it. In his last at-bat against the Athletics on Tuesday, Hernandez injured his hand more. When he returned as catcher, he wasn't receiving the ball like his normal self. Hale noticed and pulled him.
Just saw #Dbacks Oscar Hernandez @OscarHernDbacks doing his running wearing left wrist brace. Hoping for the best! pic.twitter.com/uChDoQgVts
— Steve Berthiaume (@BertDbacks) March 11, 2015
The catcher, who seemed upbeat despite the setback, said he expects to be out six weeks, though he could begin batting practice in four weeks. Hale said the recovery period depends on the person.
The catching competition now takes a turn. Losing a top defensive prospect who has only played Low-A ball to this point, the Diamondbacks will now take a look at power-hitting Peter O'Brien and last year's catcher, Tuffy Gosewisch, among others. Mark Thomas, Gerald Laird, Blake Lalli, Jordan Pacheco and Matt Pagnozzi are also on Arizona's spring training roster.
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