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Padres' Jake Cronenworth Takes Major Step in Return From Concussion

The Padres revealed the next step for their second baseman
J.P. Hoornstra|
San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after turning a double play during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 10, 2026.
San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after turning a double play during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 10, 2026. | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

Two days after it was reported that Jake Cronenworth was facing live pitching in Arizona and working toward a minor league rehabilitation assignment, the Padres revealed where the infielder will play his first live game since May 4.

Cronenworth will join the El Paso Chihuahuas for their game Thursday against the Sugar Land Skeeters, the Padres' Triple-A affiliate announced.

Cronenworth, 32, was struck on the jaw with a 97-mph fastball on April 18. Not only did Cronenworth stay in the game after he was hit by the Yusei Kikuchi pitch in Anaheim, he played another 12 games before finally succumbing to the IL.

By the time Cronenworth went the injured list May 5, he was batting .129 (4-for-31) in 12 games following the HBP.

What began as an injury minor enough to play through will ultimately have kept Cronenworth off the field for more than six weeks.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Sung-Mun Song and Will Wagner have filled in at second base in Cronenworth's absence. Tatis' move to second base coincided with his best stretch of the season as a hitter. He's slashing .305/.364/.412 with his first three home runs of the season since Cronenworth went down.

If and when he is cleared to return, activating Cronenworth will likely mean a demotion for Song — a 29-year-old rookie in his first season since coming over from Korea — or Wagner.

Song is slashing .208/.300/.245 in 29 MLB games, while Wagner has drawn more walks than strikeouts in 13 games with the Padres, slashing .276/.432/.310. Both bat left-handed and can DH as well.

It's also possible that Cronenworth returns as the Padres' DH and Tatis remains at second base. The emergence of Samad Taylor, a 27-year-old journeyman, has opened the possibility that he remains the Padres' everyday right fielder — for now.

Taylor is slashing .379/.438/.448 in 16 games since he was promoted from El Paso, a pleasant surprise in the wake of Cronenworth's injury.

Regardless of where he plays, the Padres will gladly welcome back Cronenworth once his rehab assignment ends. He has played a variety of positions this decade, easily the longest run of sustained success in the history of the franchise.

A career .244/.333/.399 hitter, Cronenworth was slashing .144/.272/.196 when he was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list. He'll get a chance to improve those numbers soon.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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