Padres get closer to Jake Cronenworth return with lineup question still unresolved

Jake Cronenworth getting close to a return is good news. Concussions should never outrun the health conversation. He’s been out since early May after concussion symptoms connected to an April 18 hit-by-pitch against the Angels finally forced the Padres to put him on the seven-day concussion injured list.

So, now Cronenworth is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso, though that start was reportedly delayed because he was not cleared in time to play. But once he is, the conversation changes.

The Padres are waiting to see whether Jake Cronenworth the player still deserves everyday at-bats right away. Before the injury, Cronenworth wasn’t exactly killing it. He was slashing .144/.272/.196 with one home run, four RBI and 23 strikeouts over 97 at-bats. He was a gaping hole in the lineup. And the Padres aren’t working with the kind of offense that can absorb that right now. 

Padres can’t treat Jake Cronenworth’s return like an automatic lineup fix

Cronenworth’s return gives the Padres a veteran back. But trust cannot be the entire plan here. They’ve spent much of this season trying to squeeze runs out of a lineup that hasn’t had enough wiggle room. When an offense is rolling, maybe a team can afford to let a proven player work through a brutal stretch. But when they’re sputtering, those at-bats are no longer cost effective.

His name still carries weight because of what he’s meant to this team in the past. He’s a former All-Star. And he has defensive flexibility. But the Padres can’t build this lineup around the 2021 Cronenworth. That’s not who’s coming off the IL.

The version coming back is a 32-year-old infielder who was badly struggling before a scary concussion situation interrupted his season. Maybe the symptoms can explain some of that. Honestly, they probably explain at least part of it. But that’s not the end of the evaluation. The Padres are going to need proof. 

Hopefully the rehab assignment will bring some clarity. It should be more than just checking off the boxes after a few at-bats. He needs to prove he can physically play, and bring some production to the lineup before taking over second base five days a week. 

Cronenworth getting healthy is a great development. But returning to the lineup full-time should still be earned.

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