The San Diego Padres are off to one of the hottest starts in franchise history, but their early momentum now faces a serious challenge. Three of their top contributors — Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill — are dealing with injury issues that could test the club’s depth moving forward.
On Tuesday night, the Padres’ 10-4 loss to the Athletics was overshadowed by a string of injuries. Merrill, the breakout rookie center fielder, was placed on the 10-day IL before the game with right hamstring tightness. Things only got worse from there.
Cronenworth exited in the third inning after aggravating a rib contusion he suffered when hit by a pitch over the weekend. Tatis followed two innings later, leaving with discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder after a swing and a headfirst slide into third base.
“Everybody knows it’s part of the game,” Tatis said. “So it’s up to us now, how we turn the page. Just bounce back as quick and smart as possible.”
Padres loss to A’s overshadowed by injuries
Despite the scare, both Tatis and Cronenworth believe their injuries are minor. “I’m not going on the IL or nothing like that,” Tatis insisted. “So, day to day so far.” Manager Mike Shildt echoed that optimism, noting that Tatis’ medical evaluation came back clean and the team would be cautious heading into Friday’s series opener.
Cronenworth is taking a similar stance. “I think I should be good to go for Friday,” he said, citing the upcoming off day as a chance to rest. His injury was described as cramping related to the earlier hit-by-pitch.
Still, the back-to-back exits created chaos. Veteran utility man José Iglesias, who was playing outfield for the first time professionally, shifted to second base. Oscar Gonzalez, recalled earlier that day to replace Merrill, took over in left and misplayed a ball that led to two runs. The patchwork defense didn’t help starter Dylan Cease, who had his worst outing as a Padre, allowing nine runs across four innings.
Shildt remains confident in his roster’s ability to weather the storm. “We’ve got a good club. We’ve got a lot of good parts to it,” he said. “We’ve got guys that are more than capable of showing up tomorrow and helping us win a Major League Baseball game.”
For now, the Padres (9-3) are clinging to the top spot in the NL West, with little cushion. The Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks are all looming close behind. The timing of these injuries — even if short-term — could have long-term implications in one of baseball’s most competitive divisions. As Tatis put it best: “Let’s see how we wake up tomorrow.”
Leave a Reply