DETROIT -- A day after his scary collision at first base, Luis Arraez entered concussion protocol on Monday and was placed on the 7-day concussion IL. But according to Padres manager Mike Shildt, Arraez’s prognosis is “as good as we could possibly expect” considering the nature of his injury.
Arraez collided with first baseman Mauricio Dubón in the first inning of San Diego’s victory over the Astros on Sunday night. He was carted off the field on a stretcher and taken to Houston Methodist hospital.
Arraez stayed behind in Houston on Sunday night, while the Padres traveled to Detroit for the start of their three-game series against the Tigers. He’s scheduled to head to San Diego next, where he’ll undergo further testing.
“Overall very favorable relative to how scary that looked and was,” Shildt said. “[Arraez] woke up, slept well. As you would expect, he has some stiffness in his neck, but nothing cognitively is anything we’re overly concerned about. He is going to go, rightfully so, in concussion protocol. More tests are going to be done -- hopefully more out of caution than necessity.”
Short on infielders, the Padres recalled Mason McCoy in a corresponding move. But Arraez’s absence will undoubtedly be felt, as San Diego has battled a spate of recent injuries. Five hitters from their Opening Day roster have landed on the IL: Arraez, Jake Cronenworth (right rib fracture), Jackson Merrill (right hamstring strain), Brandon Lockridge (left hamstring strain) and Jason Heyward (left knee inflammation).
Notably, four of those hitters are regular left-handed bats in the Padres’ starting lineup -- which presents its own share of challenges. For Monday’s series opener, the Padres elevated Gavin Sheets into the No. 2 spot in their batting order and gave Tirso Ornelas his first career start, batting fifth.
“Those lefties have been able to come in,” Shildt said. “It’s all about finding solutions. That’s what winners do. We’ll continue to put the best club out there. I love the club we’ve got, and we’ll go compete.”
Needless to say, however, the Padres will be hoping for a speedy recovery from Arraez, who has won three consecutive batting titles. He entered Sunday hitting .287 -- including a .338 mark over his past 17 games after starting the year 1-for-18.
Arraez sustained the injury on a bunt ground ball up the first-base line. He collided with Dubón as he reached the first-base bag, trying to leg out an infield hit. Arraez lay prone on the field for several minutes, a chilling scene, as medical personnel attended to him.
By the end of the game, however, Arraez was cognitive and alert and even returned to the visiting clubhouse to celebrate the 3-2 victory with his teammates.
“That was good for everybody’s spirits, and mostly for Luis of course,” Shildt said. “... Guy’s got the heart of a champion.”