The San Diego Padres had a massive scare after the “bean fest” in Los Angeles last week when superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit in the right hand. After the game, the X-ray and CT Scan results showed that Tatis had luckily not broken his hand. Padres fans got a huge relief as he was in the lineup the very next day. Now, the Padres are getting better news on the injury front almost every day.
Players Returning
Jackson Merrill – The superstar outfielder has struggled to stay on the field in his second season. Merrill will be back in the Padres lineup, batting second this Sunday afternoon after missing time with a head injury. He also missed time earlier this year with a hamstring strain. The Padres’ lineup desperately needs him back, as the team’s offense has struggled in May and June. Merrill needs to jump in and be this team’s spark plug like he did time and time again last season.
Bryan Hoeing – Along with Merrill, the Padres took Bryan Hoeing off the injured list this weekend. Hoeing started the year on the 60-day IL with a shoulder strain. While Hoeing isn’t as well-known as the other players on the list, his return is crucial for the Padres. The bullpen has struggled lately, with Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, and Jeremiah Estrada having some recent rough patches. A lot of this is likely due to fatigue with the high amounts of innings they’ve thrown so far this season. Hoeing was excellent after the Padres traded for him last season with a 1.52 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. He has starter experience and can fill a much-needed long relief role to eat up innings for the Friars.
Positive Injury Updates
In addition to the guys coming back, the Padres have received positive news about three of their top-end starters.
Yu Darvish – The long-awaited return for the ace may be just around the corner. On Friday, Darish threw 40 pitches in a simulated game. The expectation for him is to begin a minor league rehab either late this month or early in July. As long as there are no setbacks, the veteran should be back around the All-Star Break.
Michael King – Padres manager Mike Shildt said he expects Michael King to be out until after the All-Star break. He was placed on the injured list with a nerve issue on May 25th. Tests have determined that King’s shoulder is “structurally sound.” Despite there not being a timeline for his return, King is confident he will rejoin the Padres’ rotation this season. Having the righty back for a playoff run could be the difference for this team.
Joe Musgrove – The goal for the San Diego native Joe Musgrove is to return for the playoffs. While his recovery from Tommy John is going to take some time, he’s making improvements. Musgrove has extended his throwing distance from 90 to 105 feet, and there have been no reported setbacks. Padres fans can still hang onto hope that he’ll be ready to go this October.
Fixing the Remaining Weaknesses
Both the rotation and bullpen should be viewed as top of the line if the Padres get their guys back. Maybe they could add a left-handed reliever, but that isn’t their top priority.
In terms of the lineup, the team needs to do some work. Fortunately, Xander Bogaerts has been on a recent hot streak with 10 hits in his past 13 at-bats. Before the past few days, Bogaerts felt like a black hole in the middle of the lineup. Hopefully, this surge will carry over, and he’s able to turn it around.
Left field and catcher remain the largest two offensive holes on the team. While there haven’t been any legitimate rumors about the Padres looking to trade for a catcher, there have been multiple reports regarding GM AJ Preller searching the market for an upgrade in left field. Yesterday, the Padres further confirmed that they understand an upgrade is needed in the outfield by DFA’ing Jason Heyward.
Despite an injury-plagued season, the Padres are in a solid spot to make the postseason. They dodged long-term injuries with both Tatis and Merrill, are expected to get multiple pitchers back, and the lineup should be improved. The goal should be to add two bats before the deadline. If they can somehow swing it, upgrading at catcher would also drastically help this ballclub.
The pitching staff has allowed the Padres to survive to this point. Now, they just need some help from the front office to get them over the hump and into a prime position for a playoff run.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Padres Finally Getting Positive Updates on the Injury Front appeared first on Heavy Sports.