Nolan Arenado Headed for MRI After Torso Injury in Diamondbacks Loss

There are injuries you can play through, and then there is the torso. You cannot simply tape up a torso and tell a 35-year-old third baseman to walk it off.

Nolan Arenado is heading for an MRI on Monday after tweaking his trunk during Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

"MLB Trade Rumors reported that Arenado is likely to undergo an MRI for a torso injury."

For the Arizona Diamondbacks, this is the exact kind of news that makes a manager stare blankly into the dugout wall. Arenado has been grinding out a .241 average with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs this season. Those are not his peak video-game numbers from a decade ago, but he is still a foundational piece of the Arizona lineup.

The human body simply stops cooperating when you reach your mid-30s in professional sports. Arenado already dealt with a frustrating shoulder strain and finger issues last year in St. Louis before packing his bags for the desert. Now, his core is barking, which is a massive problem for a guy whose entire job revolves around violently rotating his upper body.

From a betting perspective, an absent Arenado completely shifts the math on Arizona’s run totals and moneyline value. You are removing a platinum-glove presence and a 20-homer bat from the middle of the order, which forces everyone else in the dugout to hit one spot higher than they should.

We will find out the severity of the damage once the MRI results drop. Until then, expect the Diamondbacks to scramble their infield rotation and prepare for life without their veteran anchor.