Padres outfielder Ramón Laureano has a fracture within the index finger of his proper hand and can miss at the least the primary spherical of the playoffs. Supervisor Mike Shildt knowledgeable reporters, together with Julian Del Gaudio of Fox 5 San Diego, after immediately’s sport.
Laureano appeared to injure his hand when fouling off a ball in immediately’s sport. As seen on this video from MLB.com, he was shaking his hand in discomfort after the pitch. He was faraway from the sport within the second inning.
Shildt sounded pretty pessimistic when requested if Laureano would be capable of return after the primary playoff spherical, as heard on this audio clip from 97.3 The Fan. “Typically, we are available in and discuss, , slight fracture, hairline fracture,” Shildt mentioned. “It’s a fracture. So I need to mood expectations however I additionally need to preserve all the pieces on the desk. However I wouldn’t anticipate to see him early within the playoffs however I might maintain out hope for later.”
Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn had been acquired from the Orioles on the commerce deadline. The Friars despatched six prospects to Baltimore in considered one of a number of aggressive strikes they made to bolster the membership for the stretch run.
Since then, Laureano has grow to be an on a regular basis a part of the membership’s outfield and carried out fairly effectively. He has 9 residence runs in 49 video games, serving to him produce a .271/.325/.492 line and 128 wRC+. He has additionally stolen three bases and bounced round between all three outfield spots.
Dropping that type of participant with only a few video games left within the season is clearly lower than ideally suited timing. Primarily based on Shildt’s feedback, the membership will in all probability should function below the belief that Laureano is completed for the yr. If they’ll engineer a deep postseason run and get him again within the second half of October, they’ll cross that bridge once they come to it.
That can depart the Padres with an outfield combine consisting of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets. Tatis has been ailing this week however Shildt mentioned within the feedback linked above that he has been feeling higher. O’Hearn has largely been enjoying first base however can play a little bit of outfield as effectively. Bryce Johnson is available as a bench man. Tirso Ornelas is on the 40-man roster and will maybe be recalled. Tyler Wade is within the system in a non-roster capability and could possibly be chosen to the 40-man.
The Padres maintain a $6.5MM choice to deliver again Laureano for 2026, with no buyout. This harm is minor sufficient that it shouldn’t impression that call, in order that choice is more likely to be picked up. The Friars have been working round notable monetary constraints in recent times however might doubtless discover a commerce associate in the event that they don’t have the finances area to cowl that amount of cash themselves.
Photograph courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Photographs
