Padres' Mike Shildt Reveals Gruesome Update on Outfielder's Injury

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt provided an update on outfielder Ramon Laureano, who fractured his finger against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

Laureano suffered the fracture while swinging the bat in the bottom of the second inning, and subsequently left the game.

“One tough guy,” Shildt said. “His finger’s shattered. It’s like a spider web.”

Despite the severity of the injury, Shildt has made it known Laureano could make his return before the end of the season if the Padres make it past through the early rounds of the postseason.

“Sometimes we come in and talk about, you know, it’s a slight fracture, it’s a hairline fracture,” Shildt said. “(This) is a fracture. So I want to temper expectations. But I also want to keep anything and everything on the table. But wouldn’t expect to see him early in the playoffs, but I would hold out hope for later.”

The Padres will miss Laureano, as his absence will bring them back towards the injury crisis they had in left prior to the outfielder's arrival. Gavin Sheets will likely take over in left field, however Bryce Johnson could also make some appearances.

Laureano is having a career season, and has been a bright spot in the Padres' lineup since his arrival at the trade deadline. In the 50 games he's played since coming to San Diego, the outfielder has nine home runs and 30 RBIs while posting a .812 OPS. His .854 season OPS is his highest since 2019.

Despite the big hit the Padres took, Shildt still believes his group can continue to win games in Laureano's absence.

“Winners find solutions,” Shildt said. “… Ramón has been fantastic for us. He’s a guy that brings a quality at-bat. … He’s a real threat. The ball jumps off his bat. He got real power, power to all fields. Understands how to situationally hit. Got some real toughness to him. He’s played a really good outfield, throws the ball well, been a good defender. He’s been a nice presence not only in our lineup but in our clubhouse. He’s got a nice demeanor about him, a good competitor. A winning player. It hurts. But we got to figure out a way to move forward, which we will.”

The Padres took the first game of their final game of the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-4, and will look to win the series in the second game on Saturday. While they have already secured a spot in the postseason, the Padres need to win out if they are to gain homefield advantage over the Chicago Cubs, who they are set to play against in the Wild Card round.

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