Jake Cronenworth heads to injury list with fractured rib After playing through pain

San Diego, California – Jake Cronenworth gave the San Diego Padres a glimpse of his toughness this week, hitting a home run with what turned out to be a fractured rib. But after gutting through the pain for several days, the two-time All-Star second baseman is headed to the 10-day injury list, retroactive to Wednesday.

The Padres made the move official before Friday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park, following an MRI that revealed the fracture. The injury occurred Sunday in Chicago when Cronenworth was hit by a pitch and doubled over in pain. Remarkably, he remained in the lineup, even launching a home run Monday against the Athletics during a game in West Sacramento.

“How about Jake Cronenworth? Man, what a tough dude,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Trivia question: how many guys have hit a homer with a fractured rib? Jake Cronenworth.”

Cronenworth, a former hockey player in his youth, has long been known for his toughness. But after exiting Tuesday’s game with what was initially believed to be cramping in his ribcage, medical imaging revealed a non-displaced rib fracture, sidelining him indefinitely.

“It’s just kind of always how I’ve been,” Cronenworth said. “You always try to find a way to get through it. And this one just unfortunately took the wrong way.”

While there’s no definitive timeline for his return, Cronenworth emphasized the injury’s timing makes it easier to digest.

“Discouraging would be if it happened at the end of the season,” he said. “Being only 13 games into the year, hopefully being out for only a little bit of time and being able to finish the rest of the season is something to look forward to.”

The Padres, who currently boast the best record in baseball at 10-3, will look to weather the absence of Cronenworth and fellow starter Jackson Merrill (right hamstring strain), who also remains on the 10-day IL. Merrill is eligible to return as early as Thursday.

To fill Cronenworth’s roster spot, the Padres selected the contract of utilityman Tyler Wade from Triple-A El Paso. Wade, part of last season’s 93-win Padres club, was designated for assignment in late March and recently outrighted to El Paso. He is expected to contribute at multiple positions, potentially even in the outfield.

Veteran infielder José Iglesias, who started at second base on Friday, will continue to see regular playing time as the Padres shuffle their infield.

There was some good news for San Diego on Friday. Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup after missing two games with left shoulder discomfort. “Everyone feels confident that he’s in a position where he can go play baseball,” Shildt said.

Meanwhile, veteran starter Yu Darvish (right elbow inflammation) remains without a firm return date. He continues to ramp up long-toss intensity but has yet to resume mound work.

Cronenworth, 31, was slashing .257/.350/.545 with two home runs and an .895 OPS through 13 games. His ability to return to form later this season will be critical as the Padres aim to build on their red-hot start and stay atop the National League standings.

“Open-ended, I guess,” Cronenworth said of his recovery. “A lot of it’s going to be hopefully pain tolerance. So whatever they say the timeline is, hopefully earlier.”