Jake Cronenworth hits walk-off single vs. Giants

It looks to be nothing more than a routine night off for the versatile 32-year-old. Cronenworth had started every other game during the week at either first base or second base. Ty France will start at first base and will bat sixth for the Padres against Blue Jays’ right-hander Shane Bieber.

Cronenworth put the Padres ahead early, taking Zac Gallen deep for a three-run blast in the first inning. They would prove to be the winning runs in the contest as neither team could bring another run in over the rest of the game. The 32-year-old infielder is hitting .183/.285/.270 with three homers, 15 runs scored, and 10 RBI across 145 plate appearances.

Cronenworth is at second base and hitting ninth on Monday against the Cubs in his return to San Diego’s lineup. The versatile 32-year-old infielder is back after missing nearly two months recovering from a concussion.

Cronenworth was actually scheduled to begin his rehab assignment on Thursday, but never wound up playing in the game. He didn’t suffer a setback but was simply not able to get the full approval process completed to be activated off the concussion-IL. The team believes that it will happen on Friday. The infielder has been on the concussion-IL since May 5th, so he will need a couple of weeks to get his timing and rhythm back on this rehab assignment.

Cronenworth has been sidelined since May 5 and is definitely still weeks away. He might return as a utilityman if the Padres want to keep playing Fernando Tatis Jr. at second base.

It’s a bit unclear when Cronenworth suffered a concussion recently but he’s headed to the injured list with Sung-Mun Song coming up to take his roster spot.

Stammen added that Machado is dealing with a left calf cramp that led to his precautionary exit from the late stages of Monday’s contest against Chicago. The 33-year-old third baseman will get some extra time off to rest and recover out of an abundance of caution, but it sounds like he’s ready if needed to pinch-hit. It certainly sounds like a relatively minor concern at this juncture. Jake Cronenworth is at the hot corner in his absence with Fernando Tatis Jr. making his fifth appearance at second base this season.

It’s an extremely rare day off for Machado following a precautionary exit from Monday’s series opener due to a left leg issue. Jake Cronenworth takes over at the hot corner for the first time in his career with Fernando Tatis Jr. making another start at second base. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern, but that Padres are going to give Machado a little extra time off to rest and recover.

The 27-year-old superstar proved to be capable at the position on Saturday and it appears as though it could become a regular thing going forward — which would be a boon to his already high fantasy value. Jake Cronenworth and Gavin Sheets are both sitting against Rockies’ left-hander Kyle Freeland on Sunday.

The Padres decided at the end of the spring to go with Cronenworth as their leadoff man against righties, but that lasted just three games. He’s hit sixth, eighth, ninth and ninth in the Padres’ most recent games against right-handers, and he finished tonight with a .162/.262/.189 line and one RBI in 42 plate appearances. Still, there’s definitely no sitting him now, as Ty France is the closest thing the Padres have to a backup second baseman with the way the roster is currently constructed. Sung-Mun Song will eventually take over that role, but since he’s another lefty, he’s not someone who can platoon with Cronenworth.