The present stretch the San Diego Padres are in is putting their mettle to the test. They’re even losing games to the New York Mets, another struggling team, like they did on Sunday in a 7-3 loss because things are getting so terrible. The Arizona Diamondbacks have surpassed San Diego to become the second-best team in the division, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego’s current record is 33-31.
Miguel Andujar, the Padres’ designated hitter who has given the team some pop this season, left the game early in the seventh inning, which only made things worse. After a leadoff single, Bryce Johnson took Andujar’s place as the Padres pinch raced for him.
Losing a contributor in the midst of the Padres’ difficulties is the last thing the team needs. After the game, manager Craig Stammen revealed that the 31-year-old slugger “tweaked his hammy a little bit,” according to Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune, so all they could do was wait and see what Andujar’s condition was.
For precautionary reasons, Stammen chose to just take Andujar out, and the Padres will continue to assess his status.
Andujar is expected to contribute some power from the dish for the Padres. He did have one MLB season in which he hit 27 home runs, but that was in 2018. He reached his prime eight years ago, and the Padres will benefit greatly from any contribution he makes.
Andujar has already hit five home runs this season and is developing into a very useful depth player, particularly for a team like the Padres that hopes to compete. However, when the roster becomes increasingly thinner, injuries to depth alternatives can become extremely challenging to manage.
