Padres can’t hide their outfield depth problem after Ramón Laureano surgery

Ramón Laureano is most likely done for the year after undergoing right hip surgery, and suddenly the Padres’ outfield picture looks thinner than anyone in San Diego wants to admit. According to Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Laureano will need four to five months of recovery after the procedure. He’s already on the 10-day injured list and will likely be moved to the 60-day IL whenever the Padres need a 40-man roster spot. 

The version of Laureano the Padres got this year was a shell of last season’s. Slashing .203/.286/.374 with 7 home runs and 21 RBI. He wasn’t exactly lighting up the league before the injury. But his value to the Padres was always about fit as much as production. He gave the roster some flexibility. And he was a veteran who, in theory, could run into one, hold his own defensively, and keep the lineup steady. That’s gone now.

Ramón Laureano’s injury leaves the Padres searching for real outfield stability

When a team loses a useful veteran and immediately has to start talking itself into unproven alternatives, that says something. Now we’re taking a look at Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor who will undoubtedly enter the picture along with Bryce Johnson and Miguel Andujar.

Bowen should get a real look here. And this is the kind of opportunity players grind for. The Padres need someone to grab at-bats, and Bowen has at least put himself in position to deserve the first crack. 

But let’s not dress it up too much. Through three games, Bowen is 1-for-8 with five strikeouts. So an obvious learning curve is already visible. The Padres can give Bowen some room, but they are not in a position to offer endless patience if the at-bats keep getting swallowed up.

Taylor adds another layer to it. He’s been another hot Triple-A name, and the Padres have only gotten a tiny look at him in the big leagues. There’s enough intrigue there, too. He can run, move around, and give the roster a different kind of look. But again, intrigue is not the same as stability.

Andujar is a great option offensively, but we all know he’s a defensive liability and moving him out to shag balls in left field could do more harm than good. 

The Padres are now trying to patch a real roster hole with players who are still proving they belong in the role. That’s not a knock on them. But it is the reality. They might help. They might not. But if the Padres are serious about October, they need to think about another plan.

We know that A.J. Preller doesn’t need an engraved invitation to be aggressive. If the Padres are close enough to justify buying, he’s going to look around. Laureano’s injury only sharpens the shopping list.

The Padres have enough urgency to make this season count. But right now, their outfield depth looks more like a hope than a strategy.

Laureano’s surgery didn’t create this issue with the outfield. Quite frankly, he exposed it. And now the Padres have to decide how serious they are about fixing it.

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