Padres Catcher Suffers Oblique Injury, Shut Down in Spring Training

An unfortunate blow for the catcher looking to make an impact.

Jun 17, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a San Diego Padres hat on a glove in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres catcher Blake Hunt suffered an oblique injury in camp and is now shut down in spring training.

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Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune provided the latest update on Hunt.

"Catcher Blake Hunt had been shut down with an oblique injury," Acee wrote. "Hunt, signed as a minor-league free agent, has spent most of the past three seasons playing in Triple-A for the Mariners and Orioles.

"The Padres added catcher Brendan Durfee to major league camp to take Hunt’s place. Durfee, 24, spent last season at Single-A Fort Wayne."

Blake Hunt Was Part of Padres Trade Package For Blake Snell

Hunt was selected by the Padres in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. The catcher opted to forgo his commitment to play college baseball for Pepperdine, and instead signed with the Friars for $1.6 million out of high school.

Hunt played for Mater Dei High School, where he batted .394 with six home runs, 28 RBIs and nine doubles as a senior. After inking a deal with the Padres, he began his professional career in the Arizona League.

He spent the next two seasons playing through the minor leagues with the Padres' affiliates, until 2020, when the season was cancelled. The Padres then traded Hunt, Francisco Mejia, Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Blake Snell.

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Snell would go on to win his second Cy Young award as a member of the Padres. As for Hunt, he played for the the Rays' minor league affiliates throughout the 2021 season.

Flash forward to 2026 and he's back with San Diego.

The California native signed a minor league deal with the Padres this past December after electing free agency the month prior. Hunt spent last season with the Seattle Mariners, slashing .231/.271/.407 with two home runs and five RBIs in 25 major league appearances for the organization.

Hunt spent the beginning of the season with Triple-A Tacoma, but later played in a few big league games for the Mariners before being designated for assignment in May. He cleared waivers on June 1 and was sent outright to Tacoma, where he finished out the season.

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