The Padres accomplished their first half with a 6-3 loss to the Braves, and San Diego enters the All-Star break with a 50-49 report and a +12 run differential. Whereas the Nationwide League wild card race remains to be very crowded, the Padres are a sport out of a playoff spot and nonetheless in good place to make a run within the second half, although they’ll want good well being and continued manufacturing from their star gamers to make it occur.
With this in thoughts, Luis Arraez advised reporters (together with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) right now that he gained’t be taking part in in Tuesday’s All-Star Sport. Arraez was named to the NL’s bench squad and can nonetheless attend the festivities in Arlington since his mother and father and sister shall be in attendance on the Midsummer Basic for the primary time, however the infielder gained’t be taking the sector as a result of “I would like the remainder” for his injured left thumb.
Arraez jammed his thumb whereas sliding into third base throughout the Padres’ 9-7 win over the Nationals on June 25, and has since been making an attempt to play by way of some critical discomfort at any time when he fields the ball or takes a swing. Scans haven’t revealed any structural harm to the thumb, however Arraez lately advised Acee and firm that he has been wrapping the bottom of his thumb for each sport.
“I don’t really feel one hundred pc. However each time I contact the road, I need to give one hundred pc to the supervisor and to my teammates,” Arraez mentioned.
It’s a testomony to Arraez’s toughness and talent that he has nonetheless continued to hit even whereas taking part in by way of this ache, even when his energy has been much more restricted by his thumb damage. Arraez is batting .309/.321/.346 over 56 plate appearances within the 13 video games he has performed since hurting his thumb, but solely two of his 17 hits have been for additional bases (each doubles). Although Arraez is thought for his contact hitting moreso than his energy, that .346 slugging share is properly under the .427 profession mark he posted in his first 5 MLB seasons with the Twins and Marlins.
Fernando Tatis Jr. can also be hoping to take a step in direction of getting again onto the sector when he undergoes an MRI throughout the All-Star break. Tatis was positioned on the 10-day injured record on June 22 as a consequence of a proper femoral stress response, and advised The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and different reporters on Friday that he was not feeling any ache in his proper leg. That is excellent news contemplating the unsure nature of the damage, although whereas Tatis mentioned he’ll “undoubtedly” play once more in 2024, he didn’t have another updates on when precisely he may have the ability to return.
The truth that the damage was doubtlessly seen as season-ending is actually a priority, and itself maybe an indication that Tatis isn’t out of the woods of being on a path to full health. The upcoming MRI will doubtlessly shed some mild on a restoration timetable, and for now, Tatis’ baseball-related exercise has been restricted to solely dry swings.
Transferring from lineup accidents to rotation accidents, Joe Musgrove is slated for a full bullpen session on Wednesday. Musgrove is eligible to return from the 60-day IL when his minimal absence time is up in late July, however his return from bone spurs in his proper elbow will certainly be delayed into August because the righty is simply simply within the early phases of his throwing development. As per Acee, Musgrove will restrict himself to throwing solely fastballs in his first couple of bullpen periods.
Between this IL stint and one other go to to the 10-day IL as a consequence of triceps tendinitis firstly of the season, Musgrove has thrown solely 49 1/3 innings in 2024, and struggled to a 5.66 ERA. This marks the second straight injury-marred yr for Musgrove, as a damaged toe and shoulder irritation restricted him to 97 1/3 innings in 2023, although he was more practical when he did pitch, delivering a 3.05 ERA.
