Miguel Andújar’s trip to the injured list has created a clear opening for the Padres, and it points straight to Luis Campusano.
Andújar went on the 10-day IL after taking a pitch from Lucas Erceg in the eighth inning of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals. Tests showed a small fracture in his right wrist. The good news for San Diego is that he’ll wear a splint instead of a cast, and the team hopes to get him back sometime in August.
In the meantime, the Padres filled his roster spot by recalling catcher Rodolfo Durán from Triple-A El Paso. On the surface, replacing a designated hitter with a third catcher looks unusual. In practice, it gives San Diego more room to use Campusano’s bat.
That matters because Campusano has been producing. Through July 21, he was slashing .297/.409/.554 with four home runs in 29 games.
In July alone, he had been even better, hitting .318/.455/.500. The sample is small, and injuries have kept interrupting his season, but the basic point is hard to miss: when he’s on the field, he’s hit.
The Padres need that kind of production in the lineup.
Keeping three catchers around makes the math easier. Freddy Fermin or Durán can handle catching duties while Campusano gets time at DH, and the team still has a catcher available on the bench. That lets the Padres protect themselves without pushing one of their most productive hitters to the side just because he needs a break from catching.
It also gives Stammen more flexibility late in games. If Campusano isn’t starting, the Padres can still use him as a pinch-hitter without burning their last catcher.
Andújar’s injury leaves a bench that was already short on impact thinner than before. He was hitting .259 with five home runs, 22 RBI and a .726 OPS in 74 games.
Those numbers won’t be easy to replace. But Campusano’s .963 OPS is well above that mark, even with the obvious caveat about playing time.
The Padres have been waiting a long time for this kind of offense from Campusano. He’s the El Paso Chihuahuas’ home run king, and now that his bat is finally showing up in the majors, San Diego can’t keep treating it like a luxury item attached to a catcher.
The DH spot gives the Padres a cleaner path. It keeps Campusano’s bat in play, eases some of the physical wear, and gives the club a better read on whether this hot stretch is the real thing.
There’s still a clock on the setup. Andújar is expected back in August, and Campusano’s recent abdominal soreness is part of why the Padres kept Durán on the taxi squad before making the roster move. This three-catcher arrangement may not last long, but for now it gives San Diego a chance to get more out of one of its most productive hitters.
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