Padres All-Star Jake Cronenworth Has No Timeline to Return From Injured List

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth was placed on the injured list with a fractured right rib just hours before first pitch Friday.

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While Padres fans sighed in relief to hear Fernando Tatis Jr. would not be making an IL stint, there is some concern for Cronenworth who has no timetable for his return.

“As far as timelines go, it’s unfair to put one on it. (The Padres’ medical staff) will take the lead on it,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said to The Athletic's Dennis Lin. “But Jake will have a say in it as well. Fortunately, it wasn’t displaced, so it’s a matter of getting … some of the healing to take place. And then it’s a matter of his functionality. Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long.”

Cronenworth sustained the right rib fracture when he was hit by a pitch Sunday in Chicago. He is eligible to return by April 19, since his IL stint is retroactive to Wednesday. However, based on the nature of Cronenworth's injury, he could be out for an extended period of time.

Through 12 games this season (Cronenworth missed Wednesday's game against the Athletics), he is hitting .357 with two home runs, five runs batted in, and a .895 OPS.

The Padres second baseman is hopeful he can return sooner rather than later, but it's too early to evaluate how he's feeling.

“Open-ended, I guess,” Cronenworth said. “A lot of it’s going to be hopefully pain tolerance. So, whatever they say the timeline is, hopefully earlier. But yeah, it’s only (been) less than 24 hours.”

Jackson Merrill and Yu Darvish are also on the IL, but the Padres have found ways to win despite the loss of key players so early in the season. San Diego currently leads the division, and are perhaps the best team in baseball thus far.

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