As Padres manager Bob Melvin was holding his postgame media session Thursday, left fielder Jurickson Profar was being put through a CT scan at nearby UC San Diego Health.
During the fifth inning of Thursday’s game, San Francisco’s Tommy La Stella hit a pop fly to shallow left. Shortstop C.J. Abrams ranged back and made a stellar catch, but his left knee went into the jaw of Profar, who was sliding underneath.
Profar appeared dazed, then collapsed while trying to walk off. His neck and head area later were secured as medical personnel prepared to cart him away, and he was talking and moving his extremities.
“You’re not thinking about baseball at that point,” Melvin said of the anxious moments after the collision.
The initial reports on Profar are encouraging.
“We’re probably worried most about a concussion,” Melvin said.
Come Friday, the Padres and Giants will resume their important four-game series with San Francisco attempting to rebound from a 2-1 loss in 10 innings. But for several moments Thursday, both teams were united in concern.
“He makes it easier that he’s smiling,” Melvin said of Profar. “Just looking at him and the way he was with a smile on his face makes us feel a little bit better.”
“Never want to see that,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
Now, it’s back to work Friday night as both teams attempt to locate their offense. The Giants had two hits Thursday, the second coming with two out in the ninth inning. The Padres had eight hits for the game.
Great pitching? Maybe. The Padres’ Joe Musgrove and the Giants’ Logan Webb put on a show Thursday.
But the truth is Thursday’s 2-1 Padres win didn’t ease the struggles of either team. The Padres and Giants entered the series with identical 3-9 records since June 23 — tied for the worst mark in the National League.
“Both teams are probably in their roughest stretches of the season,” Kapler said.
“All this adversity makes you tougher,” Melvin said.
Friday night, the Giants will send left-hander Sam Long (0-1, 1.78 ERA) out as an opener in what figures to be a bullpen game. In his most recent outing on Wednesday, Long picked up the first save of his career. He has allowed only two earned runs over his past 21 innings. He has faced only seven Padres hitters in his career, giving up a hit and a walk in 1 2/3 scoreless innings without a decision.
The Padres will counter with former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is 0-5 with a 5.13 ERA and 1.46 WHIP going into his ninth start of the season. Snell has 50 strikeouts against 23 walks in 40 1/3 innings.
His most recent start, however, showed signs of his past success. Snell held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run on four hits and four walks with 12 strikeouts last Friday.
Snell is 1-0 with a 4.30 ERA in three career starts versus San Francisco.
–Field Level Media