Padres outfielder Tommy Pham has suffered a broken hamate bone in his hand while fouling off a pitch in an eventual loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
San Diego manager Jayce Tingler revealed the injury on Monday during an interview on MLB Network Radio. Tingler also suggested that Pham will undergo surgery, which would typically mean he'd be out four to six weeks. At the same time, Tinger said he's hopeful that Pham's toughness and pain threshold might allow him to return sooner, possibly in time for the postseason should the Padres qualify for the expanded 16-team field. However, it's also possible that Pham is done for 2020. At present the Padres are 11-12 on the season and have lost five in a row.
As for Pham, 32, he was off to a slow start in 2020. Through 23 games, Pham has a slash line of .207/.316/.293 (74 OPS+) with two home runs. Better days were likely ahead, as Pham is coming off a 2019 season for the Rays in which he put up an OPS+ of 119, and for his career he owns an OPS+ of 124 across parts of seven MLB seasons. The Padres acquired Pham as part of a five-player swap with Tampa Bay last December.
For the time being, Jurickson Profar figures to replace Pham as the Padres' primary left fielder.
