Jurickson Profar on track to return from scary collision before All-Star break

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar suffered a scary in-game injury after a collision with teammate C.J. Abrams on Thursday night. He was placed on the injured list, but is reportedly on track to return before the All-Star break.

According to Kevin Henry at Call to the Pen, manager Bob Melvin stated Profar is doing well.

“Jurickson is doing well. We hope it’s only a seven-day event for him. There are some things he has to clear in concussion protocol to move forward, but we’re still hoping for a seven-day stint and he’s still feeling great.” -Bob Melvin, via Call to the Pen

Profar has consistently been in the leadoff spot in the lineup and has been one of the best hitters overall, so his absence has been a challenge to work around.

Profar is one of the best hitters for the Padres

Profar produces some of the best numbers in the lineup among Padres outfielders. He’s hitting .242/.343/.397 with wins above replacement of 2.1 and FanGraphs offensive rating of 6.7. He has the best strikeout and walk percentages (14.4 and 12.7, respectively) of the team.

He also has the fifth-best batting average and slugging percentage. He has the third-best on-base percentage, wins above replacement and offensive rating.

The lineup has had some shifts to try to make up for his absence. Jake Cronenworth was put into the leadoff spot Monday night and, luckily, was successful. He contributed to the Padres 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies with three hits, including a solo home run.

The Padres lost two of the four games following Profar’s injury, one of which was a 12-0 shutout by the San Francisco Giants. Though San Diego has still had some success, his absence is certainly noticeable.