San Diego Padres’ Chase Headley to miss first two weeks of regular season with broken thumb - MLB
San Diego Padres will be without the services of their star third baseman Chase Headley on the opening day of 2013 season as he fractured his thumb during Spring Training. Chase will be sitting out for a month which means that he will miss the last two weeks
of Spring Training as well as the first couple of weeks of the regular season.
Headley is a critical player for the Padres and the team is certainly not hunky dory about the latest development. The player had been consistent last season and gave his team a real boost particularly towards the ending part of the season in 2012.
Bud Black, the manager for the Padres was quite clear that the event is an unfortunate one for both the team and the player himself.
"You hate to see it happen," Padres’ manager said. "It's unfortunate for Chase and the Padres."
This is not the first injury of its kind and Chase had suffered a broken finger in 2011 which saw him sit out for 39 games. Last year the switch hitter equalled his career high 161 games. The number obviously will not be matched or improved upon this year
due to his injury.
He was also set to play for the US team in the World Baseball Classic had the team gone onto the semi-final stages but that did not happen anyway.
His form has been quite phenomenal off late as well and he has posted a high .448 batting average in 29 at-bats during Spring Training. His last year’s form impressed one and all and the fact that he played half of the games at Petco Park, a pitcher friendly
ballpark also speaks volumes of his quality.
The team does have some options for third base and the manager is confident that a decent replacement can be named for Headley. Jedd Gyorko and Logan Forsythe are thought to be the strongest candidate in this regard.
"There's a lot of options," Black said.
Catcher Nick Hundley also understands that gravity of the situation and acknowledges that Chase is a special talent who cannot be entirely replaced. He believes that the whole team will have to up the ante in order to negate the effects of Chase not being
able to play.
"It's tough, that wasn't the plan," Hundley said. "But we've got guys in this locker room who can and will step up. You're not going to have one guy replace Chase. You have to do it as a lineup."
The Padres will have to play well, be it with Chase Headley or without him. There is no doubt that the 28-year-old has a special impact on the team but it is high time that he be given a break and some of the other players step up to the plate.
Tags: