Tim Kiene
For 23 games, the Terrapins baseball team patiently awaited the return of one of its best hitters. That wait finally came to an end Tuesday.
After missing the start of the season with a hamate bone injury he suffered during preseason batting practice, slugger Tim Kiene made his long-awaited season debut against George Mason. And it didn’t take long for the 6-foot-4, 244-pound first baseman to show coach John Szefc exactly what the Terps have been missing in the middle of the lineup all season.
Batting in the five hole, Kiene went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI against the Patriots, serving as one of the few bright spots in the Terps’ 3-2 loss.
“It’s exciting,” said Kiene, whose Terps will travel to Raleigh, N.C., for a three-game series at N.C. State this weekend. “I’m happy I was able to recover well and come out and perform. I’ve been talking to Coach a lot, and today was the right day for me to come back, and it went well.”
Injuries to the hamate bone — located near the lower palm and upper wrist on the pinky side of the hand — are common in baseball, as the bone lies near the surface of the palm and can fracture with little to moderate contact. Kiene fractured his during preseason batting practice, when a foul tip off his hands broke the bat and impacted his lower palm.
Coaches originally expected Kiene to recover before the start of ACC play, but his timetable was pushed back after he aggravated the injury during practice.
Now that he’s healthy, the junior gives the Terps (14-10, 3-6 ACC) a proven power bat they can deploy in the middle of their lineup. Kiene hit a team-high six home runs and drove in 19 runs last season.
His return couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Right fielder Jordan Hagel broke his left thumb during the Florida State series two weeks ago, and he is sidelined indefinitely. Szefc said Hagel — who is wearing a soft cast — will be available in pinch running and defensive replacement situations, but is unlikely to return to the lineup for this weekend’s series against the Wolfpack (17-9, 3-6).
“I can’t really tell you when he is going to be back. It could be this weekend, or it could be next weekend,” Szefc said. “He can put his finger in a glove and catch a fly ball, but he isn’t ready to hit yet.”
That’s part of what makesthe addition of Kiene to the lineup so significant. And even with the absence of Hagel — who is second on the team in batting average (.344) and first in slugging percentage (.525) — Kiene isn’t worried. After all, the Terps have a number of players with significant offensive abilities.
“We have a great offense,” Kiene said. “I have trust in the guys and so does the coaching staff. It’s not just one guy. We have plenty of hitters who can handle a bat, and I just want to be one of those guys who contributes.”
sportsdbk@gmail.com
