The San Diego Padres have gotten out to one of the best starts in franchise history, but their early success is now being tested. Three of its key players, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill, are battling with injuries that may put the club’s depth to the test in the future.
A string of injuries marred the Padres’ 10-4 loss to the Athletics on Tuesday night. Merrill, the breakout rookie center fielder, was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game due to right hamstring discomfort. It only got worse from there.
Cronenworth left in the third inning after exacerbating a rib contusion sustained when struck by a pitch during the weekend.
Two innings later, Tatis left with discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder after swinging and sliding into third base.
“Everybody knows it’s part of the game,” Tatis explained. “So now it is up to us to decide how we will flip the page. Just recover as quickly and intelligently as possible.”
Padres’ loss to the Athletics marred by injury.
Despite the fright, Tatis and Cronenworth think their injuries are mild. “I am not going to the IL or anything like that,” Tatis maintained. “So, day to day so far.” Manager Mike Shildt shared that optimism, stating that Tatis’ medical evaluation came back clear and that the team will be careful moving into Friday’s series start.
Cronenworth has taken a similar attitude. “I think I should be good to go for Friday,” he added, referring to the next off day as an opportunity to recover. His injury was reported as cramping from an earlier hit-by-pitch.
Nonetheless, the back-to-back departures caused havoc. Veteran utility player José Iglesias, who was playing outfield for the first time professionally, moved to second base. Oscar Gonzalez, who had been recalled earlier that day to replace Merrill, took over in left field and misplayed a ball, allowing two runs. The patchwork defense did not assist starter Dylan Cease, who had his worst effort as a Padre, giving up nine runs in four innings.
Shildt is confident in his roster’s ability to weather the storm. “We have a good club.” “We have a lot of good parts,” he remarked. “We’ve got guys that are more than capable of showing up tomorrow and helping us win a Major League Baseball game.”
For the time being, the Padres (9-3) have a slim lead in the NL West. The Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks are all following closely behind. The timing of these injuries, even if only temporary, could have long-term consequences in one of baseball’s most competitive divisions. Tatis said it best: “Let’s see how we wake up tomorrow.”
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