The San Diego Padres are Major League Baseball's hottest team. With a six-game winning streak to begin August, it seems like nothing can go wrong.
After playing mediocre baseball for much of the first half, the lineup has exploded after the All-Star Break. All-Stars Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill have had numerous clutch home runs, with a talented supporting cast filling in behind them.
However, another All-Star in the Padres' lineup has just a .645 OPS in the second half, one of the lone areas of concern for this powerhouse offense. And if the numbers had Padres fans worried already, Friday night's health update will do nothing to ease the concerns.
Utilityman Luis Arraez, a three-time All-Star and two-time batting champion, told reporters on Friday night that the thumb injury he has had for over a month is actually a torn ligament.
“I have a torn ligament, but that doesn’t stop me from playing,” Arraez said in Spanish. “You know the love I have for baseball and my job. It’s been difficult to play like this, especially hitting.”
The injury was initially sustained on June 25 on an errant slide into third base. Arraez missed the Padres' game the next day, but has played in 28 of their 33 games since sustaining the injury.
A doctor told Arraez during the All-Star break that he could continue playing with the injury, but that an offseason surgery is a possibility. He opted out of playing in the Midsummer Classic on July 16, but has played in 16 of San Diego's 18 games thereafter.
Even injured, Arraez has continued to hit for a high batting average. His .280 mark since the injury isn't far off his .302 season total, which is currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani for the top mark in the National League.
However, Arraez's power, which was already minimal to begin with, has vanished. He has just seven extra-base hits and a .352 slugging percentage in the 28 games since hurting his thumb.
Plenty of great players have fought through injuries to have excellent postseasons. And San Diego, for all intents and purposes, seems to be headed for October, with a 3.5-game Wild Card lead and only a 2.5-game deficit behind the Dodgers in the National League West.
But to make a charge at a championship, the Padres may well need Arraez to be the dynamic leadoff hitter they traded for in May. This injury puts his ability to do so in question.
More MLB: Blue Jays coach emerges as potential option for White Sox next manager
