Sore knee could hurt Quentin's trade value

Left fielder Carlos Quentin caused a stir Monday night when he was a late scratch from the Padres lineup.

The social media immediately lit up with rumors. Most had the slugger being traded.

As it turned out, that was not the case.

But there could be cause for concern. Quentin's knee is sore.

Monday marked the first time that Quentin has been removed from the Padres lineup because of soreness in his knee since he started playing on May 28. Before that, Quentin hadn't appeared in a game since having surgery on his right knee on March 19 to repair a tear in his meniscus.

After the game, Padres manager Bud Black said Quentin also could be held out of Tuesday's game.

Since his return, the Padres have protected Quentin's knee. He hasn't started more than six straight games. But on Monday, his knee flared up after only three starts back from the All-Star break.

Even if there is not cause for concern, it could make teams think twice about acquiring him before the trade deadline. Quentin has a checkered past when it comes to injuries.

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