The Padres placed infielder Jake Cronenworth on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with a right wrist fracture. Cronenworth told reporters, including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that his timetable for return will be more clear in the coming days, though his current hope is that he’ll be able to return this season in the event that the Padres make the playoffs. Infielder Matthew Batten was recalled in the corresponding move.
Cronenworth, 29, has struggled to a career worst wRC+ of 92 alongside a .229/.312/.378 slash line in 522 trips to the plate. That slash line has ticked up in the second half as he’s posted a more palatable .265/.317/.435 slash line in 186 plate appearances since the start of July with a 14% strikeout rate, a far better mark than the 21.1% figure he posted through the end of June. Of course, even his more recent production this season is a considerable step back from the player Cronenworth was prior to this season. From his big league debut as a 26 year old during the shortened 2020 campaign to the end of the 2022 season, he slashed a combined .256/.338/.431 with a 115 wRC+ a strikeout rate of just 16.5% and a strong walk rate of 9.4% all while contributing with strong defense up the middle.
The breakout of fellow infielder Ha-Seong Kim and this past offseason’s acquisition of shortstop Xander Bogaerts pushed Cronenworth to first base, but the Padres nonetheless saw fit to commit to their versatile infielder with a seven-year, $80MM extension that will go into effect starting next season. That investment is beginning to look dubious between the step back Cronenworth has taken with the bat this year combined with his weak performance defensively at first this year (-3 Outs Above Average), particularly given Cronenworth will turn 30 shortly after the new year. Given his current injury, it’s possible Cronenworth won’t have an opportunity to turn things around until next year, once his new contract has already begun.
Replacing Cronenworth on the active roster is Batten, who has been an exactly league average bat (100 wRC+) in a small sample of 25 trips to the plate this season. With deadline acquisition Garrett Cooper seemingly taking over at first base full time for the injured Cronenworth, Batten seems poised to mix and match alongside fellow bench options Jose Azocar, Ben Gamel, and Matt Carpenter as the Padres look to fill out the DH slot in their lineup. In 15 games since joining San Diego, Cooper has slashed an impressive .278/.381/.472 with a wRC+ of 140. The Padres will need that exceptional performance to continue if they are to keep their limited postseason hopes alive, as the club is just 61-68 with 6.5 games between them and the final NL Wild Card spot.
See ya next year Jake.
Unless you’re traded 🙂
No shot he’s traded with his new contract haha
Lot bigger contracts have been traded.
Read that again, unless you’re traded… you are traded. Hmmm Ha-Seong Kim.
That would be poor asset management. Then again that’s kinda what Preller does (I’m looking at you Adam Frazier and Luis Urias).
Opening 2024 in South Korea with no Ha-Seong Kim… not happening.
Not saying this would happen but what if the Orioles offered Jackson Holliday for Kim straight up? Then would opening 2024 in South Korea without Kim happen?
Preller will lose his chance on that trade after signing Kim to a 13 year 325 million dollar contract in the off-season. So it will still happen, and the padres will regret the signing in 3 years.
Maybe he can borrow some of Suarez‘s sunscreen to recover. If not, I’m sure Tatis Jr knows a good doc or two.
He can borrow some ring worm medication from Tatis
Could it be Preller’s doctor that signs off on bogus medicals before being traded to the Red Sox?
Oh you mean like the bogus medicals the Red Sox gave Preller on Anderson Espinoza. Ya know, the guy who needed TJ twice after the Red Sox traded him?
If Padre fans weren’t insufferable and arrogant, I would feel bad for them.
They’re not nearly as bad as Dodgers or Red Sox fans though.
Most are not. Most are really chill. The worst away fans I have seen have been Red Sox, Cubs, and of course the Trollydodger fans that couldn’t tell you a Dodger prior to Mookie Betts
All Mets fans have entered the chat
Actually San Diego fans I know are the most laid back & happy around. The Most Arrogant Fans Award definitely belongs to Houston Astros. Texas Rangers might be second. But Astros fans definitely need an attitude adjustment. Hopefully that will be the Mariners in 2023.
Ha-Seong is great on the dirt; you don’t move him to the grass. Soto is fine in LF until his mid-30s at least. Garver/Campy sounds good. I wonder if we’ll invite Mejia to ST…
Jake would be moved off the dirt before Ha Seong.
Cronenworth would be moved to left before Kim.
Yeah I agree that putting Ha Seong Kim in LF is a waste of his defensive prowess. Soto isn’t amazing in LF by any means but sending him to 1b at this time would be the last thing I’d do.
Maybe it’s having watched Hosmer most of the past 5 years at 1b but I was kinda shocked to see the defensive metrics say Cronenworth has been mediocre at 1b. Great at picking balls, plus range, good decision making.
But you can’t improve on Soto’s offense. 5.6 WAR is not something they can replace.
LF will most likely go to Merrill
Despite writing 4 paragraphs on this, you FAILED to disclose how he suffered a fractured wrist.
Did he bang it on a dugout water cooler?
Meaningful games in September…
Crazier idea. Dump Grisham and get a RF that can hit. Let Tatis play CF.
Cooper is a nice pickup and crony isn’t having a good year, this may work out well for the best.
I happen to like Bogarts, but the last thing the Pads needed was yet another highly paid SS capable player. Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make and I feel this team will rue the Bogey contract for years to come.
Who has been better Bogaerts or Cronenworth?
Good question really. I’d have to ponder it, but the mere fact you’re asking suggests that there’s no way to justify the Pads throwing 280 M at Bogey. He doesn’t necessarily make them a better team(tons of SS capable players already) and they’ll need some of that 280 mil to sign Snell’s and Hader’s replacements and any other improvements they might make after this season.
You don’t have to “ponder” anything. Just look at the stats. Better offense. Better defense. Better overall.
The Padres middle infield is set. Kim will be a Padre and either the starting SS or 2B. Bogaerts will be a Padre and start at SS or 2B.
The questions they have to answer are who will play CF, who will play 1B, who will DH?
Kim
Tatis is solid in RF. Whenever he’s played CF, ehh…not so much! Soto will have an epic 2024 being it his contract year.
Big booty Grish if not for his defense, my man would be no better than Carp.
You take Kim off the dirt, you kill that infield. Jake supposedly can play any position but he’s been a big upgrade at 1st from Hosmer.
This off season some major decisions are going to need to happen. Do AJ and Bob go? Is it a complete cleaning of house?
For some reason Peter loves him some AJ so I can see Bob being the one getting the axe, which is ridiculous.
Who knows, I thought they were going to sell at the deadline.
Tatis is solid? He’s the best defensive RF in baseball. Its not close either. He has 10 starts in CF in his career. Are you seriously trying to judge his ability to play the position after 10 games over 2 seasons?
Tatis has 10 starts in CF. He doesn’t have enough time there to know what he w=ill do. What we do know from this season is that he is the very best defensive RF in baseball. There is no doubt in my mind that he can handle CF.
Grisham is a wizard with the glove, but he cannot hit to save his life. That type of player has always been the defensive replacement or 4th OF, not a starter. Grisham should not be a starter either. Preller needs to go after a corner OF that can hit.
BaseballisLife IS websoulsurfer!
Shifting Crone to first put more pressure on him to hit and he has been pressing all year
Why even bother posting this?
Q: God hates:
1) Peter Seidler
2) AJ Preller
3) San Diego Padres fans
Answer: 3
Bad info Column NICK DEEDS. How was he injured??? I would Bet that NICK hasn’t watched more than 2 Friar Games this year. Mentioned Jake’s Defense Problems. His 1B DEFENSE is way above Average
Yeah I’ve watched most of the games this year and I was floored by any suggestions that his d was less than average. Any algorithm that has him below average is defective.
Just ask the Dodgers back when he first shifted to 1b – “hit it anywhere but to that Cronenworth guy” and as the answer at the end of a game.
Kim should be the Padres’ starting SS in 2024 – he’s better than Boegarts.
The Padres should trade Trent Grisham or keep him as a 4th outfielder, late-inning defensive replacement. He’s been below average offensively for two years and his strikeout rate is trending upward toward 30%.
This is what the Padres could look like next year (assuming they don’t trade Soto or Grisham):
Campusano – C
FREE AGENT – 1B
Boegarts – 2B
Kim – SS
Machado – 3B
Cronenworth (L) – LF
Tatis – CF
Soto (L) – RF
FREE AGENT – DH
Bench:
Grisham (L) – OF (can play CF)
Batten – IF
Carpenter (L) – 1B/DH
FREE AGENT – C
Please correct if need be, phillies guy here, but didn’t Bogaerts sign in SD so he could stay at ss? I mean the guy got his bag, so who cares?
Just thought I remember hearing he wanted to stay at ss?
He needs to go to 1b with Kim at SS and Jake at 2b.
Soto is not moving to 1B a year out from free agency and tanking his value.
Padres playing their worst defender at short and their best outta position is such a headscratcher
How did he break his wrist? When?
Hit by a pitch in the 9th inning Friday night.
Preller spends big and trades often as he tries to put together this centuries’ version of the ’27 Yankees. Lots of big names coming and going each year. Mega cheese being spent.
And what does he have to show for it? The same record as the Washington Nats!
Preller is good at identifying the pieces of the puzzle but he evidently has no idea how to put them together to form the picture on the box..
While blaming Preller is an easy out why not take a look at the career averages for Tatis, Soto, Bog, and Manny and just imagine how many more wins this team would have had if these 4 guys would have just played to their average – not even a peak year mind you but their average. That is a lot of fun possibilities to change the result of those 0-10 in extras and ridiculous record in 1 and 2 runs games.
I submit that (see lowest BA in baseball and historically low RISP) has cost more games with the players assembled than Preller has cost the Apdtes this year.
Anybody:
How did Jake sustain a fractured wrist ??
After 3 searches filled with useless BS, I finally got my answer.
Chafin should be immediately be suspended by MLB and remain so until JC is able to perform at his customary level in MLB.
The Brewers should be mandated to cover JC’ salary for the entire time he is out.
Chafin should be investigated for pitching inside while the game was out of reach.
JC should have the video of this at bat reviewed for both the position of his feet in the batters box and for the position of his hands relative to the imaginary line extending upwards from the batters box.
All these HBP injuries to players need to be minimized.
High time for MLB to take action on this issue.
These injured players are people too.
They are being injured while on the job and earning a living to support their family and themselves.
What about their pain and suffering?
What about their medical expenses?
What about the damage to their careers?
The old, one sided,, “It’s just part of the game” crap is antiquated and outdated”.
Both the pitcher and his team should ALSO suffer some consequences.
Fans need to speak out on this and make their feelings known.
Padres and JC (as well as many other teams and players) need to be suing
Both the pitcher and the opposing team for financial damages, medical costs, pain & suffering.
“[Cronenworth’s] current hope is that he’ll be able to return this season in the event that the Padres make the playoffs.
Everyone else’s current hope is that Jake takes a long look at the standings.