Padres' Jurickson Profar Reveals How He Emulates Hall of Famer

The San Diego faithful rejoiced when Jurickson Profar returned to the lineup Friday against the Mets after missing one game with a flareup of patellar tendinitis in his left knee.

He isn't letting a minor injury keep him down for long.

“I need to play,” he told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “When I came up with Texas, I see how you play like that. Hall of Famer Adrian Beltré. Hamstring, quad, whatever grade (strain), the worst grade, he went out there and played at a high level. There is no excuse.”

Jurickson Profar just finished on-field workout.
Nothing official, but it sure looks like he’s a go for tonight.
He seemed pleased.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) June 14, 2024

Profar made his teammates and fans nervous when he left Tuesday's game early. But, he has been honest with his team about his knee. He has been playing with knee discomfort since last season and said it flared up in the past few weeks. It reached a pain level that was bad enough for him to leave in the eighth inning.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said they will be monitoring his knee closely moving forward. It's possible that he gets more days off to rest throughout the rest of the season. They don't want the tendon to rupture or require surgery because he would be out for months.

Profar ranks third in the major leagues with a .324 batting average behind the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. (.330) and Padres teammate Luis Arraez (.326). He has started 69 of the Padres’ 71 games before sitting Wednesday.