The Padres are getting healthier on paper, but the injury list still has a few important names hanging around as the club pushes through the stretch run.
Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported updates on four sidelined players: Jason Adam, Lucas Giolito, Miguel Andujar and Samad Taylor.
Adam remains the most concerning of the group. He has been out since late July with a right shoulder strain and still has not reached the point of throwing, which leaves his return timeline very much up in the air.
September remains the target, though he has already run into a few setbacks. Before the injury, the veteran reliever had put together a 2.51 ERA across 36 appearances.
The Padres believe his ramp-up could move quickly once he starts throwing, which would at least keep the door open for a return before the postseason.
At the time he got hurt, Adam was blunt about how much he wanted to stay on the mound. “I hate to be missing time, especially at this point in the season,” Adam said at the time of the injury.
“You want to be out there supporting your teammates. Especially in pretty crucial games in the middle of the long stretch with a lot of games, you want to be there.
That’s what they pay us for in the bullpen.”
Giolito is a little further along, but not by much. The right-hander has been sidelined since June with right elbow inflammation and has yet to begin a rehab assignment, though he has thrown bullpens at the team’s facility.
His fastball velocity has ticked up, and that could open the door to minor league games soon. Even so, San Diego is taking the cautious route because of his injury history.
Giolito joined the Padres in April after a long free agency period, but he never found much consistency. He is 2-3 with a 5.16 ERA in seven games, five of them starts.
Andujar has been out since the middle of July with a fractured right wrist, but there is at least one encouraging sign: he is out of the splint. He still is not doing baseball activities, though, so his return is not imminent.
The Padres have felt his absence, since he had given them a steady bat. Andujar is hitting .259 with five home runs and 22 RBIs, along with a .726 OPS.
Taylor appears to be closest to game action. He has resumed baseball activities and could be nearing a rehab assignment. In 26 games for San Diego this season, he hit .330 with one home run, 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, posting an .808 OPS.
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