Padres Weekend Roundup: Headley Hurt, Garcia Struggles

Mar 9, 2013; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley (7) in the field during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, the Padres split two split-squad games vs. the Dodgers, winning 8-7, and the Royals, losing 5-7. The Friars beat the Dbacks on Saturday 10-6, but then lost two split-squad games vs. the Dbacks and the Angels, 6-8 and 4-7, respectively. The Padres continue to pound the ball this spring and, as I noted last week, I hope the pitching can keep up with the offense. A couple of developments that are worth bringing up, as guys start getting into regular season form and playing more innings.

Headley Hurt

Padres Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award-winning 3B Chase Headley jammed his thumb while sliding into second base on Sunday.  The jury is still out for how serious of an injury it is, but initial reports indicate that Headley could miss opening day.  Headley, coming off a career year, was surely excited to try and pick back up where he left off last season, when he vaulted himself into the NL MVP discussion after an incredible August and September. He was also tearing it up so far this spring, hitting .448. This type of injury scares me because it could be a nagging pain all season. If you have ever jammed a finger before, you can understand what I’m saying; it doesn’t just go away after a couple weeks, it lingers. It’s also an injury that can reoccur and be re-aggravated in so many different ways during the long grind of a season. I’m optimistic that it’s simply a minor jam and Headley will be able to play through some initial discomfort at the beginning of the year. But I really hope this is not the sign of multiple DL stints for Headley this season.

Garcia continues to struggle

When Freddy Garcia signed a one-year, minor league deal to come pitch for the Padres, it was thought he would pitch good enough and provide enough of a veteran presence to win a spot at the back end of the Padres rotation.

It has not gone according to plan thus far. Garcia has struggled mightily this spring, posting an ERA of 9.77 in just 15 2/3 innings. His misfortunes continued on Sunday, as he gave up six runs in five innings against, admittedly, a strong Angels lineup. Garcia is running out of opportunities to try and prove himself to be a starter in the rotation, as opening day is just two weeks away. And given that guys like Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner are looking good, Garcia might be on the outside looking in come April 1^st.