Padres' Jurickson Profar Gets X-Rays Following Scary HBP

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 9, 2024

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar left Wednesday night's 9-8 extra-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates shortly after getting hit just below his right knee by a pitch.

Profar went down in pain during his at-bat in the sixth inning after taking a Hunter Stratton fastball off the leg immediately falling to the ground. He rolled over before hopping away and slamming his helmet to the ground, clearly in pain.

He stayed in the game initially taking first base. But, he was removed from the game for a pinch runner when he pulled up gingerly running to second base.

Profar had X-rays during the game that came back negative.

“Which is clearly positive,” manager Mike Shildt said after the game.

The All-Star outfielder was spotted in the clubhouse after the game with hardly any limp. Profar insisted he was fine telling reporters, "I'm good."

Jurickson Profar receives attention from trainers after being hit in the leg by a pitch pic.twitter.com/Chic81meX8

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Profar returned to the starting lineup for the series finale on Thursday. He went 0 for 3 in the Padres' 7-6 win.

After signing a one-year, $1 million contract in the offseason, Profar has been quite the bargain for the Padres. He entered the game with a .302 batting average, 19 home runs, and a National League-leading .395 on-base percentage through 112 games.

The game was a nail-biter. The Padres completed the comeback tying the game in the ninth and scoring three times in the 10th and then holding on to win 9-8.

Jackson Merrill hit two home runs including the game-tying shot in the ninth.

“Both teams wanted to win really bad,” Merrill said. “I appreciate that from the other team too. They didn’t give up. They gave us a real challenge. So I love it. I love baseball games.”

Starting pitcher Michael King threw 33 pitches in the first inning and was done after five.

“I felt like we did everything in our power to lose that game,” King said. “But then we just kept having clutch hit after clutch hit.”

Tanner Scott, who came in to get the final out of the ninth with the bases loaded, walked the first three batters in the bottom of the 10th to make it 9-7.

“We didn’t play as clean as we typically play,” Shildt said. “… But definitely overcame it. And that’s what winners do.”

Shildt turned to his sixth reliever, Adrián Morejón to to clinch his first career save and the Padres’ sixth consecutive series win.