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To add insult to injury, the San Diego Padres have lost an everyday player for an extended period of time. Jake Cronenworth is going on the IL with a fractured right wrist. Jake Cronenworth suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch and forced to leave the Padres' game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday.
Only Xander Bogaerts has more at-bats for the Padres in the 2023 season than Cronenworth. San Diego's first baseman is hitting .229/.312/.378 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI. The Padres signed Cronenworth to a seven-year extension at the start of the season.
The 2023 season has been nothing sort of disastrous for the Padres. San Diego spent big in the offseason, giving Bogaerts a $280 million contract in free agency to add to one of MLB's highest payrolls. For all of their spending and talent, the Padres have a 61-68 record. They are 19 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Even though San Diego is seven games under .500, Cronenworth's injury comes with the Padres still technically in contention. They are only 6.5 games out of the third and final NL wild-card spot.
It's hard to imagine that San Diego will turn its season around and make a real run to the playoffs. There are too many teams ahead of the Padres in the standings. The Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds are within a game of each other in the fight for the last wild-card berth. The Miami Marlins are 2.5 games out of the NL playoff picture.
The Padres have called up infielder Matthew Batten from Triple-A El Paso to replace Cronenworth on the roster.