SAN DIEGO — The Padres are placing Jurickson Profar on the seven-day concussion list and calling up Brent Rooker from Triple-A El Paso for his third stint with the big league team.
Profar was injured in a collision Thursday night with shortstop CJ Abrams. He was diagnosed with a concussion and a cervical (neck) strain, Padres manager Bob Melvin said. Profar was discharged from the hospital overnight, slept through the night and could visit the team Friday evening.
Rooker has yet to appear in a game for the Padres, but he will this time, predominantly against left-handed pitching. The 27-year-old outfielder was en route to Petco Park, but would not arrive before batting practice so Matt Batten will receive his first MLB start in left field, where he’s played 26 games in the minors.
Batten is 1 for 2 since last week’s call-up but has played just second base so far. He spent time with the coaches in early work getting familiar with the left field corner at Petco Park.
Already on the 40-man roster, Rooker is hitting .279/.401/.596 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs in 49 games with El Paso and is hitting .342/.450/.671 with five homers in his last 21 games.
Without Profar available for at least a week, the Padres will be in search of a new leadoff hitter.
Ha-Seong Kim, who missed the last two games with a sore left thumb, will get the first crack Friday.
Kim is hitting .232/.321/.354 with five homers in 75 games this year.
This is his first career start in the leadoff spot.
Kim will be followed by second baseman Jake Cronenworth, third baseman Manny Machado and designated hitter Luke Voit.
Jorge Alfaro will catch and bat fifth, followed by first baseman Eric Hosmer, right fielder Jose Azocar and center fielder Trent Grisham.
Other than stacking Voit and Alfaro in the middle of the order, the Padres alternating lefty-righty throughout the lineup should serve them well as the Giants are going with a bullpen game.
