Padres News: Gary Sanchez Injury ‘Tough Pill to Swallow,’ Says Bob Melvin
During Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres’ primary catcher Gary Sanchez suffered a fractured wrist, ending his marvelous season. The injury was a tough pill to swallow for Padres manager Bob Melvin.
“Sick to your stomach,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s put together an incredible year. Tough travels to begin with. Gets here and is impactful right away, fits into his team like a glove. Just a lot of great stuff he’s accomplished this year and with not too much time left to have (an injury), it’s a tough pill to swallow for everybody. He’s one of everybody’s favorite in the clubhouse. … and has been very, very productive. So unfortunate.”
The Padres’ pitching staff relied on Sanchez to help them succeed. The Padres have the best ERA in the National League, and Sanchez has caught 62 games.
He and the pitching staff have a good working relationship, as the eight-year veteran knows how to get major leaguers out and help his pitchers get through a rough outing. For the rest of the season, the Padres will rely on Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan.
Sanchez contributed a ton on offense, too. In 72 games, he had a .219 batting average with 19 home runs, 47 RBI, and a .780 OPS.
The Padres must accept the 2023 season wasn’t their year to succeed. They are out of the National League Wild Card race. Some pundits think they would be better off losing the majority of their games to have one of the worst records.
