Padres must find next man up in outfield with Ramón Laureano sidelined

The Padres will be without one of their top bats for the Wild Card, as it was announced that Ramón Laureano sustained a fractured finger in the team’s series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The injury occurred in the second inning during Laureano’s first plate appearance, when he fouled a ball off and showed signs of discomfort. While he finished the at-bat, it resulted in a strikeout and he was promptly removed from the game.

A tough blow to Mike Shildt’s lineup to say the least, but he is confident that the team will find a solution. “Listen, winners find solutions,” said Shildt.

Laureano had been one of the best trade acquisitions in baseball, coming over to San Diego along with Ryan O’Hearn. In 50 games, he slashed .269/.323/.489 with a 127 wRC+, providing the team with another impact bat to complement Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill.

The Padres are blessed with great outfield depth, we saw amazing work from Gavin Sheets in the first half of the season, and Bryce Johnson has shown flashes of why he can be the x-factor in the postseason. But which one would be the “better option” to man left field in the Wild Card round?

Gavin Sheets

Sheets brings a power bat to the lineup, as before losing his role as an “everyday player,” he was batting .249 with 15 home runs and an OPS of .730. While he can provide one big swing of the bat when the team needs it, he is not a great defender, with an FRV and OAA both sitting at -2. On top of bad defense, Sheets does not run the bases well at all, ranking in the 38th percentile for sprint speed.

Bryce Johnson

While he is not a home run hitter like Sheets, Bryce Johnson finds ways to get on base, posting an xBA of .293. He also brings the element of speed to the ballpark, as he is a threat on the basepaths. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Mike Shildt were to put him in as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.