While Luis Arráez was a revelation for the San Diego Padres from the moment that trade was struck, it was clear that he wasn’t completely healthy for a long stretch of the second half. There were early alarm bells going off when Arraez missed the All-Star Game with a thumb injury. However, he just kept playing through it and fans hoped the issue was minor.
Things escalated in August when it was revealed that Arráez was playing through a torn ligament in his thumb which, generally speaking, isn’t the type of injury one plays through. Despite the unveiling of the seriousness of Arráez’s injury, the infielder went on an historic strikeout-less streak and helped San Diego get back to the postseason.
Latest Luis Arráez injury update adds to his Padres’ legacy
On Wednesday, Arráez revealed that the injury he’d been playing through for months was serious enough to require surgery. Arráez said in his social media post that the procedure went smoothly, and he’s now focused on healing and getting back in time for next season.
It is honestly wild that Arráez was able to play at all, let alone play as well as he did. Arráez was clearly hampered to an extent after the All-Star break, but still slashed .321/.353/.416 in the second half and he did it with only one fully functioning thumb. Taking that into consideration, that’s insane.
Arráez’s update does raise some questions; however, including exactly how long his recovery is expected to last. The injury could also impact any discussions the Padres intend to have regarding a potential contract extension. San Diego clearly knew what health issues were plaguing Arráez and still felt comfortable with him playing through it. What is unknown is if there could be long-term issues from the surgery that could keep the Padres from rewarding him for his efforts.
More updates on Arráez and his recovery are likely to roll out in the coming days and weeks, and those should provide some clarity on his future in San Diego. There is no denying that playing through that injury as long and well as Arráez did is going to endear him to Padres fans even more.
