MIAMI — After Friday’s 6-2 win over his former team in his former home ballpark, San Diego Padres infielder and two-time batting champion Luis Arraez told reporters in Spanish that the left thumb injury that has been bothering him for several weeks is a torn ligament.
“I have a torn ligament, but that doesn’t stop me from playing,” Arraez said in Spanish. “You know the love I have for baseball and my job. It’s been difficult to play like this, especially hitting.”
Arraez originally hurt his thumb when he jammed it sliding into third base June 25. He sat out the next game and has since started 28 of 31 games, with 10 of those starts coming as a designated hitter. In that span, the leadoff man has hit .280 with a .300 on-base percentage and a fly-ball rate above his typical line-drive tendencies. In Friday’s comeback victory — for a third consecutive day, the Padres rallied after trailing in the ninth — Arraez served as the designated hitter and finished 1-for-5 with a 10th-inning single.
Arraez has been aware of the torn ligament for at least a few weeks. He was examined by a doctor during the All-Star break, a team source told The Athletic, and was told he could continue playing with the injury. Arraez also was informed he did not need in-season surgery, although that does not preclude the possibility that he could require an offseason procedure.
Arraez, with a .302 batting average, is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani atop the National League leaderboard. He won a batting title in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins and another batting title with the Miami Marlins, in 2023. The Padres acquired him in May and, despite his recent struggles, have surged to the front of the National League wild-card race. Friday, rookie phenom Jackson Merrill became the first player in major-league history to hit three game-tying home runs in the ninth inning or later in a span of 11 or fewer days. In the 10th, the Padres (65-52) went on to win 6-2 against the Marlins for their 15th victory in 17 games.
Jackson Merrill has hit… ANOTHER game-tying home run! 😤
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 10, 2024
The day marked his return to LoanDepot Park, where he beamed throughout his homecoming. Arraez, a Miami resident, said he was so excited the previous night that he did not fall asleep until around 3 a.m.
“I’m happy to be here again,” Arraez said in English before the game. “And especially to face my ex-teammates, seeing (Marlins) manager Skip Schumaker. I miss those guys a lot but I understand this is business. … I’m coming here to enjoy this beautiful sport, enjoy the baseball and enjoy playing (against) my friends there.”
(Photo: Rhona Wise / USA Today)
