San Diego Slugger Heads to the Injured List
Monday, the San Diego Padres announced some devastating news regarding a key member of their lineup. The team announced that outfielder Tommy Pham was headed to the Injured List. Jay Posner who covers the team for the San Diego Union-Tribune had the news on Twitter.
Padres' Tommy Pham has broken bone in hand, could miss rest of season https://t.co/49DYrJIUsY pic.twitter.com/wqwi1jBgxp
— The San Diego Union-Tribune (@sdut) August 17, 2020
Pham originally left Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after fouling back a pitch. After the game, the fear was that Pham would end up missing time and that has now been confirmed via a CT scan.
Tommy Pham’s Impact on the Padres Offense
The Padres acquired Pham from the Tampa Bay Rays this past offseason. In exchange, San Diego sent outfielder Hunter Renfroe, minor league prospect Xavier Edwards, and infielder Esteban Quiroz to Tampa Bay. Aside from Pham, San Diego also received utilityman Jake Cronenworth.
One of the reasons why San Diego targeted Pham was because they saw an obvious hole in left field. Pham helped fill that void for the team and also gives the Padres a bat that could spark the offense. After all, Pham finished last season with the Rays batting .273/.369/.450 over 654 plate appearances.
The acquisition made a lot of sense, especially when coupled with the other core members on the Padres roster. Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is a significant part of that core as is first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Manny Machado. When those four hitters are healthy and performing at their best, it gives the Padres a lineup that other teams truly fear.
In addition, while the aforementioned Hunter Renfroe gave the Padres a lot of power, he was a high strikeout type of hitter. Renfroe accumulated a strikeout percentage of 31.2% over 494 plate appearances in 2019. In contrast, with the Rays, Tommy Pham had an 18.8% strikeout percentage. So essentially, Pham helped to diversify the Padres offense and give them someone who could get on base at a higher clip rather than simply a big swing-and-miss type of bat.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the loss of Pham is a significant one for San Diego. Add to the fact that Padres closer Kirby Yates hit the Injured List on Sunday and it’s concerning what the remainder of the season could look like for the team. Going into play Monday, San Diego is currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak. If the team hopes to capture a playoff spot and be a true threat in the National League West, then the aforementioned Fernando Tatis Jr., Eric Hosmer, and Manny Machado must find a way to carry the offense with Pham out of the fold for the foreseeable future.
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