The San Diego Padres have been ravaged by injuries in the first half of the 2024 Major League Baseball season. As of writing, Fernando Tatis Jr., Yu Darvish, Xander Bogaerts, Luis Campusano, Joe Musgrove, Luis Patiño, and Glenn Otto are all on the injured list.
But amidst those absences, utility player Jurickson Profar continues to shine for the Padres. His stellar play was evident during their June 25 game against the Washington Nationals. In the bottom of the sixth inning of a one-run game, Profar faced Derek Law with the bases loaded and one out for San Diego.
The major leaguer from Curacao sent a 2-0 pitch to the right field stands for his 11th home run this season. More importantly, the grand slam home run extended their lead to 9-4. The Nationals tried to mount a rally, but the deficit was too much to overhaul as the Padres held on to a 9-7 victory.
Jurickson Profar sends San Diego into a frenzy with a grand slam! pic.twitter.com/SfSNykyTZW
— MLB (@MLB) June 26, 2024
The grand slam was Profar’s lone hit during that game, but it earned him four RBIs, increasing his season total to 54. Likewise, the Padres have won two games against Washington and five of their last six, including victories over the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 82 games this season, Profar has a .317 batting average, a league-leading .410 on-base percentage, and a .488 slugging percentage. He has 89 hits (15 doubles) in 281 at-bats and has a .898 OPS.
-Lance Fernandez