It was a rough night overall for the San Diego Padres on Monday as they were on the receiving end of a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. In the seventh inning was when they lost the game, but that wasn't the worst part of their night. That distinction belongs to the moment in which relief pitcher Jason Adam was struck by a line drive from Gunnar Henderson directly on his left knee.
It was a brutal-looking moment for Adam, as he immediately clutched onto his knee and groaned on the ground in pain. He had to be carted off the field, and it looks like the Padres veteran, who also took the loss on Monday, may not pitch anymore for the rest of the 2025 season.
But Adam, ever the positive presence in every locker room, expressed some optimism despite suffering what Padres manager Mike Shildt revealed as a ruptured quad tendon.
“I told A.J. [Preller], I'm really glad you went out and got Mason. This bullpen's so deep, of all the bullpens in the league to not need me, it's this one,” Adam said, per Bernie Wilson of Associated Press.
Alas, as deep as the Padres' bullpen may be in the eyes of Adam, he was a crucial piece that helped make it so. The injury he suffered is nothing short of devastating, especially when knee injuries are notoriously tricky to deal with for players already in their 30s. Moreover, the left leg is a right-handed pitcher's planting leg, making it all the more difficult to deal with.
On the year, Adam is sporting a 1.93 ERA in 70 games (65.1 innings), making him one of the best relievers in the majors. The Padres will be missing his services dearly as the veteran looks toward a lengthy rehab process.
Padres bullpen needs to weather the storm
Even with Adam out for the rest of the season, the Padres do have the talent to hold the fort. The deadline acquisition of Mason Miller will help immensely, but even then, San Diego already had an embarrassment of riches to begin with. Robert Suarez is still a crucial late-game weapon sporting an ERA of 3.04, while Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada have also been reliable hands off the bullpen.
Adam's faith in his team is well-placed, although only time will tell if the Padres will miss the 34-year-old veteran or if they could make it deep into the playoffs even without one of their most trusted relievers whom they acquired at the deadline as well.
