Injuries forcing Zone 1 teams to adjust lineups

As the American Legion Zone 1 regular season winds down, success in the postseason may evolve into a survival of the healthiest.

Several teams are coping with the loss of key players due to injuries, including divisional leaders Bangor and Brewer.

North Division-leading Bangor (15-2) is without ace right-hander Josh Young, who suffered a bruise on his pitching thumb when he was hit by a shot off the bat of Brewer’s Kevin McAvoy during Bangor’s 3-2 win over the Falcons at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor on July 13.

Originally the injury was suspected to be a fracture that would have left the Husson College-bound Young sidelined for the rest of the summer, but a subsequent diagnosis was less severe.

“There’s no fracture,” said Bangor coach Jay Kemble. “It was diagnosed as a bruise, so he’s really day to day at this point.”

Kemble hopes Young can return to the mound later this week in order to get some work in before the start of the six-team zone tournament, which is scheduled to begin July 29 at Mansfield Stadium.

“We’re not going to rush him back,” said Kemble. “But we want to try to keep his arm strong, so if he’s ready we’d like to get him a start before the tournament.”

Perhaps the most serious injury of the Zone 1 season concerns McAvoy, who suffered a broken bone in his right hand during Brewer’s 17-14 win over Penquis last Thursday.

McAvoy, one of the top hitters in Zone 1, suffered a 15-degree break of the pinkie finger on his right hand, according to Falcons coach David Morris.

Morris said McAvoy is unlikely to be back for the zone tournament, but he will get a better indication of McAvoy’s long-term availability after the swelling goes down in the hand and the bone is reset.

“No question it’s tough to take a kid like that out of your lineup,” said Morris. “He’s hitting over .500 and has 30 RBIs, so when you lose someone like that it’s going to have an impact. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Brewer, 15-3 and atop the South Division, has used Nye Gifford and Kevin Kotredes at third base in McAvoy’s absence, and pitcher-first baseman Pat Moran and catcher Joe Robicheau have helped pick up some of the offensive slack.

“It’s tough, because Kevin is a difference-maker,” Morris said. “He can change the complexion of the game both offensively and defensively. But the other kids have responded well.”

McAvoy is not the first Brewer player to suffer a significant injury this summer. Catcher Mitchell Peasley has been sidelined with a broken arm since being hit by a pitch in a game against Bangor earlier in the summer.

“He was a key piece to the puzzle,” said Morris. “He had caught all 35 games for us during the high school season.”

Bangor and Brewer are not the only teams hit with the injury bug in recent weeks.

Calais, which battled its way to the state Legion tournament last summer, has seen its pitching depth tested in recent games due to the loss of starter Ben Maloney to an ankle injury suffered while playing basketball, according to Suns coach Ken Macdonald.

When Maloney will be able to return to action is unknown, Macdonald said Saturday after his team dropped a 5-3, 9-7 doubleheader to Lincoln.

Calais, 7-9 entering Monday’s makeup game at home against Lincoln, is presently the sixth seed for the Zone 1 tournament, but 7-11 Orono still is in position to challenge the Suns for that final playoff berth.

The American Legion Zone 1 regular season is scheduled to end Saturday.