Cincinnati Reds shortstop Jeff Keppinger broke the patella in his left knee on Tuesday night when he fouled off a Mark Hendrickson pitch in the second inning of the Reds’ 8-7 win over Florida, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. A postgame X-ray revealed a fracture, but an MRI will determine the extent of the injury, John Fay said in his Reds Insider blog.

Fay added this about Keppinger’s replacement candidates:

So who will play short stop today? Baker said he’s not sure yet.

Hairston is a versatile player who said he is “very comfortable” playing short stop and could fill the role.

Paul Janish could be another replacement. The short stop is doing well in Triple-A Louisville, and was pulled in the eighth inning of the Bats’ game Tuesday night.

Keppinger was one of fantasy’s early surprises, not a dominant force at the plate, but a waiver wire gem hitting .324 with three home runs and 21 RBIs in 39 games. He began the year as the Reds’ starting shortstop in replacement of Alex Gonzalez, who also has a left knee injury. He is the team leader in RBIs, thanks in large part to a .424 average with runners in scoring position.

Either way Baker goes - with Hairston, Janish, or a combination of both - there will be no gains to be had on the fantasy front. It will be interesting to see if an ensuing roster shuffle affects the delicate balance required for a Jay Bruce call-up, but his situation should be a separate issue.

In the same game, 24-year old pitcher Edinson Volquez improved his season record to 6-1 by allowing one run on seven hits over six innings. Volquez struck out five to up his season total to 57 Ks in 48.2 innings, tops in the major leagues.

Dustin Hockensmith is editor of ImaginaryDiamond.com. He can be contacted at dhockensmith[at]fantasysports101.net.