TODAY: The arthroscopic procedure is expected to keep Myers out of action for roughly a month, Kevin Acee writes.
JUNE 3: The Padres announced that they have placed outfielder Wil Myers on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 1, due to right knee inflammation. Fellow outfielder Brent Rooker was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
While there’s no timeline on Myers’ absence just yet, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune provides some more information, including speaking to Myers himself. “I don’t think this is something that’s (going to be) many months by any means,” he says. However, Acee adds that arthroscopic surgery is still being considered, a procedure that would be aimed at cleaning up a loose cartilage flap behind the patellar tendon in his right knee. Despite Myers’ apparent lack of concern, surgery would surely alter his recovery timeline.
This is Myers’ second IL trip this year, as he also spent almost two weeks on the shelf due to a thumb injury. Perhaps due to that ailment and this knee issue, he is having the worst season of his career. Acquired from the Rays at the end of 2014, he’s played in seven seasons in San Diego, producing above average production in six of them. His wRC+ has been 107 or higher in those six seasons, with 2019’s 97 being his only below-average campaign. However, this year, he’s hitting .234/.276/.306 for a wRC+ of just 66.
Despite a solid 30-21 record, the Padres haven’t gotten too much production from their outfield this year. Jurickson Profar is having a decent bounceback year, hitting .226/.326/.392 for a wRC+ of 109, but Trent Grisham is hitting .159/.275/.280 for a wRC+ of 67, just barely ahead of Myers. The only other outfielder to have played more than ten games on the year is Jose Azocar, who is hitting .254/.318/.305 for a wRC+ of 83. Nomar Mazara was added to the roster recently after a good showing in Triple-A, replacing Robinson Cano. Now Rooker, acquired in the Taylor Rogers–Chris Paddack trade, will enter the mix as well. Through 26 Triple-A games this year, Rooker has hit nine homers and produced a slash line of .242/.357/.568, 124 wRC+.
The long-term prognosis of this knee injury could have impacts down the line, as the 31-year-old is potentially heading to free agency at the end of the year. As part of the extension he and the club signed prior to the 2017 season, they have a team option for Myers’ services next year valued at $20MM, with a $1MM buyout.
Wonder if SD can get ahold of Bryan Reynolds this summer. BR + Tatis would be…something.
Tbh, it would cost too much. I’d love to see benintendi come over
Preller’s traded for guys having career years before. It’s dangerous. At least with Benitendi, he’s at the right age to be having a career year.
Reynolds will cost more, a lot more, but he’s also 27 (prime), has hit better before than he is now (positive regression likely), and he’s not a free agent until 2026. The price may be too high, for sure, but for good reasons.
Benitendi’s good in LF, and Reynolds is not particularly good in C, but with Grisham showing signs of life BR would make a terrific RF.
I’ll take “Club Options Least Likely To Be Exercised” for $1 million, Alex.
Whats the scouting report on Brent Rookie?
Crikes can give you a tear down on any ol’ Padre, Mr. Rookie, Mr. Pothead, just ask him.
Brent Rooker, not rookie.
Don’t take any chance of losing Myers to free agency – go ahead and pick up that option now, Pads.
At 20 million? You must be crazy! With the season he’s had, you could probably easily get him for half that in free agency!
Sarcasm is hard
LOL, the Padres have been trying to trade Myers for years, why would they sign him to an extension?
Tough break for Myers. And a lucky break for No Maz or Brent Rookie (sticking with the misspell). I am wondering what it would take to get Benintendi or Reynolds?
Royals are going to have to just take what they can get for Benintendi at the deadline.
I think that’s an overly pessimistic take. There will be plenty of suitors for Nintendo.
Never said there won’t be plenty of suitors. Teams that want him will still have to be the highest bidder but the Royals can’t afford to just not trade him if they don’t get exactly what they want lest they look like the Rockies did at last summer’s deadline.
Yeah, benintendi is a plus defender and is hitting well. Hope we can grab him
Benintendi /Naquin/ JD Martinez/Josh Bell should all be available at deadline..Deadline… Benintendi and Naquin maybe even right now… as rentals their value is like a #15ish prospect so like Max Ferguson (ABall CF Pads #15) likely gets you 3 of the 4 players i listed… JD Mart probably needs a 10-12 guy …think SS Acosta + (and a bottom top 30 guy).. Ornelas OF type
Naquin (CF) might be a better value/cost/results option for the Padres as he can play all 3 spots..But it wouldn’t surprise me if Pads add 2 Bats…lengthening our starting lineup and retooling a bench that currently has Mazara/Rooker/Azocar/Alcantara..not including C… too green and too marginal for postseason in my view..Tatis pushes Kim to bench so that helps ..but if Pads are to make noise Ala Braves 2021 they are going to need 2 extra Bats
JDM won’t require anything other than the Padres taking what’s left of his contract.
Bell can’t play the OF. Well, technically he can, but he’d make Myers look like Mookie Betts with the glove.
Padres have a couple of interesting names at AAA that might options.
Matt Beaty, former Dodger utility guy, is on a rehab stint. I would probably assume he’s going to get looks soon.
They also have Shogo Akiyama who has a .907 OPS in El Paso.
Joshua Mears is also an interesting prospect if he can get his K rate down. That guy is a beast.
Mears is like a couple years away. They sent him to extended spring training to reset himself because he was hitting .185 and striking out in half his at bats in A ball.
Him and James Wood have serious power potential, but it’s going to be a while before they’re ready
Mears isn’t ready for bigs yet (for reasons you mentioned – 39% K-rate). Hassell, Wood, and Zavala are future OF beasts as well. Esteuary Ruiz looks ready but the team seems to be prioritizing a power bat at this time, understandably.
On another note, mlbtr might want to spell Rooker’s name correctly (he’s not a rookie) and provide the usual link to Baseball References.
Who’s Esteuary Ruiz?
Ha! Esteury Miss Dotinga
Beaty had been hitting well on his rehab stint but was apparently sidelined over the weekend and his rehab assignment halted.
Akiyama may be close, though probably no better than Azocar with the latter’s BA and OBP beginning to tick upward.
Brent Rookie, eh?
I can’t wait to say, “Hey Rookie, you were good.”
Guys a major league, can we correct his name, or has he pissed somebody at MLBTR off? ROOKER!
If they need the roster spot, they probably should just put him on the 60-day. It’s highly unlikely they’d be able to trade his contract, so they probably should eat it or, at least, part of it. His placement on the IL was retroactive to 6/1, so he’d be eligible to comeback by 7/31, right at the deadline. If somehow they could package him into a deadline deal, he wouldn’t have to take up a roster spot. If not, they could work out a deal with him to keep him on the 60-day until rosters expand to 28.
Yeah, the timing of Myers’s IL placement is actually pretty favorable so far as the deadline is concerned given how difficult it would have been to deal even a relatively healthy Myers at any point this month or even early July.
Myers is expiring contract. Easy to move… but they aren’t moving him… a more likely scene is Dimelson Lamet (needs a shot at SP again) in a change of scenery move to regain old dominant self + spec for Mancini/Benentendi/Naquin type…soon or now and then going after an upgrade at C perhaps Contreras at deadline
The problem with moving Lamet though is he’s probably a non-tender for next year at this point. While he’s technically controlled for one more year, he’s not worth the $5M expense, so he’s basically got zero trade value.
If they can even move him it’s probably part of a dump situation just to clear his money off the books.
You might get a team like the Royals or Orioles, who have plenty of money, to bite on Lamet and risk his 2023 arbitration payroll. But you’re right, he wouldn’t be a big part of a deal. The Padres might not even expect anything back, clearing the roster spot would be helpful.
The way the bullpen has struggled, we might be better off seeing if he can get comfortable as a minor league reliever.
Myers isn’t easy to move. He wouldn’t get a major league contract were he a FA right now.
I think he’d get a major league deal, but it would be dirt cheap. He was a 2 win player in 2020 and 2021, someone with OF holes and not many commitments would sign him.
“Easy to move” is laughable. The only way another team takes him is to send us an even worse contract back or because they’re buying a good prospect.
He’s produced a 583 OPS this season. He’ll be barely off the 60 day DL on August 2nd, the trade deadline. Nobody wants that.
Yea no one wants Myers. SD would have to include prospects just to get rid of him
To be honest a Gallo + Lockridge (AA) for Wil Myers ..gambling on the later to go on one of his team carrying month or 2 hot streaks to end the year .. would be a solid trade for both NYY and Pads… imagine if that was the WS and SDP won in 7 with an MVP Gallo ooof..but honestly a trade that may help both teams greatly
So the Yankees give up the player who’s hitting better, plays much better defense, costs half as much, and hasn’t been hurt this year, PLUS a minor leaguer?
No, no, and no. Even if Gallo tanks while Myers is on the DL, the Yankees wouldn’t do that deal unless WE sent a prospect to THEM.
Gotta love some of the trade proposals on this site.
The Yankees can just wait for Gallo to get hot if they are counting on the improbable. There’s absolutely zero reason to trade in Gallo for a player who is playing just as bad as he is. And throw in a AA player as well? Makes no sense for the Yankees.
Grisham is a really bad contract, with no-hit, and a below-average defense, Trade him for 2 baseballs.
Grish is a Gold Glover making league minimum, what are you on about? Haha
Hard to be a bad contract when you are making the league minimum.
If Angel Hernandez is an umpire, I can’t take MLB seriously