San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin is set to undergo prostate surgery on Wednesday but doesn’t expect to miss more than a dozen games, he said Tuesday.
Bench coach Ryan Christenson will serve as interim manager during Melvin’s absence — a role he has filled over the past week as Melvin dealt with symptoms of what the Padres originally referred to as a gastrointestinal problem.
Melvin was back in charge Monday night when the Padres lost 6-0 to the visiting Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series.
Christenson entered COVID protocol on Monday but was cleared Tuesday and was set to be in charge that night against the Cubs.
After the series finale vs. Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, the Padres head out for a road trip featuring three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.
“The timetable is, hopefully at the longest, I’d just miss the road trip. I hope it’s shorter than that, but that’s probably the timetable. … I hope it’s only Atlanta and Philadelphia (that I miss), but if it’s the entire road trip, it’s the entire road trip.”
Melvin said of the pending operation, “Just want to get it over with.”
Melvin said his doctors do not believe he has prostate cancer, but it won’t become certain until after he has the operation.
“Everybody’s biggest question is Bob’s health, making sure that he’s in a good place here in the next few days and gets some relief,” Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “The diagnosis from the doctors has been good. In terms of the team and the staff, we’ve got a lot of experience, and guys know their responsibilities. I think everybody’s looking forward to stepping up and keeping things going.”
In addition to Christenson, who has no managerial experience, Melvin’s staff features third base coach Matt Williams, who managed the Washington Nationals in 2014 and ’15.
The 60-year-old former catcher is in his first season as the Padres’ manager. He spent the past 11 years leading the Oakland A’s before getting permission to move to San Diego in the offseason.
Melvin previously managed the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 19 years as a major league skipper, he has a 1,365-1,283 regular-season record (.515) and a 10-17 mark in the postseason.
–Field Level Media