On Saturday, the San Diego Padres announced that first baseman Jake Cronenworth has been placed on the 10-day IL after suffering a right wrist fracture. The injury occurred in the ninth inning of a 7-3 Padres loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Cronenworth took a 93 MPH fastball from reliever Andrew Chafin square to his unprotected wrist area. He promptly left the game.
Jake Cronenworth had to leave the game after being hit on the wrist with a pitch pic.twitter.com/JSjjiO7RkF
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 26, 2023
Although Cronenworth is only on the 10-day IL, the injury will likely mark his season’s end. A wrist fracture commonly takes around six to eight weeks to heal. With the Padres’ slim postseason chances, it would be of little use to rush him back into action.
Jake Cronenworth to IL with Wrist Fracture
Roster Moves
In order to fill Cronenworth’s roster spot, San Diego called up infielder Matthew Batten from Triple-A El Paso. New deadline pickup Garrett Cooper will handle most of the first base duties from now on. The pending free agent is 10-for-36 in his 15 games with the Friars, and he now gets a substantial opportunity to raise his value in the remaining month or so.
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Cronenworth’s Profile
Cronenworth began his MLB career with the Padres in 2020 at the age of 26. At the time, he was viewed as a throw-in player in the deal that brought Tommy Pham to San Diego. After Eric Hosmer went down to injury, Cronenworth proved his value as a versatile defender with an impact bat. He posted an OPS of .831 with excellent defense at all four infield positions in the shortened season. His stellar play continued into the next year, and he earned his first All-Star nod while slashing .266/.340/.460. While his offensive numbers took a hit in 2022, Cronenworth still remained one of the Padres’ most important pieces. He displayed this with a game-winning single in the NLDS. The base hit is now one of the biggest and most exciting moments in franchise history in the eyes of Padres fans.
Cronenworth signed a seven-year, $80 million extension on April 1 of this year. This would take him into his age-36 season. In a year marred by struggles and now a wrist injury, Jake Cronenworth will now look ahead, hoping to bounce back next year in 2024.
Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
