Padres’ injury spiral somehow gets worse with latest IL moves

Some are already calling this one of the worst weeks the Padres have had in recent memory, and it’s hard to argue with them. Seven straight losses. A complete slide out of control. And a record that has dipped to 43-45. 

A couple of weeks ago they were a team that was supposed to be fighting to stay in the National League playoff picture. Now they look like a team trying to keep the walls from closing in.

And because this is apparently the week where everything gets worse, the injuries are now piling up too.

Padres roster takes another hit with Randy Vásquez, Freddy Fermin injuries

The Padres placed right-hander Randy Vásquez on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle contusion and catcher Freddy Fermin on the 10-day IL with a head contusion. In corresponding moves, San Diego recalled right-hander Alek Jacob from Triple-A El Paso and reinstated catcher Luis Campusano from the 10-day IL.

That’s the transaction version of it. But it’s so much worse. The Padres are hurt, short on answers, and suddenly stuck in a situation that exposes their weaknesses. Jason Adam was already placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain, retroactive to June 30. The MRI reportedly didn’t reveal major structural damage, which is good news, but that does not make the loss painless. 

The Vásquez issue also came with some concern. He was struck in the right ankle by a 98.8 mph comebacker off the bat of Mookie Betts during their July 2 loss to the Dodgers. Somehow, he stayed in the game and gave the Padres three innings. But it got scarier after he left the mound. While Vásquez was on his way to get X-rays, he fainted. A team trainer caught him before he hit the ground, and the Padres sent him to an LA-area hospital as a precaution. 

The Fermin injury adds another layer to it, because the Padres were merely days away from their catcher feeling whole again. Not long ago, the Padres’ catching situation felt crowded enough to create a different kind of conversation. Freddy Fermin was back. Rodolfo Durán had given them quality defensive work behind the plate. And Luis Campusano was working his way back. There was once a question about how the Padres were going to sort through all of it.

Now, with Fermin landing on the 10-day IL with a head contusion, Campusano is back in the majors, and Durán will hang around a little longer before a decision needs to be made. 

Campusano’s return still plays a big role because his bat still gives San Diego a little bit of hope. He was slashing .288/.362/.596 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI in 52 at-bats before his injury, and he’s already made some noise during his rehab assignment. But it also says plenty about where this team is right now. 

They entered the season with enough star power to make patience feel reasonable. We could talk ourselves into the idea of waiting ‘til the trade deadline. But with the stars struggling, the starting rotation not holding up, and now injuries piling up, the Padres are moving in the wrong direction.

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