Padres catcher took pitch to the nuts
It’s been a long and winding road for San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano but after years of dealing with the injury bug, he’s now the starting man behind the plate.
Following an impressive second half in 2023, Campusano earned the No. 1 role out of spring training and hasn’t looked back. And while his bat has been impressive, it’s his defense that has yielded praise from his teammates and coaches. Most notably, Campusano has become an expert at blocking balls in the dirt.
“There’s comfort and confidence,” Campusano said in February, via MLB.com. “That’s always big in this game. The more you have it, the more free you can play and just worry about helping the team win.”
On Friday night, that took on a different meaning for Campusano, who got the job done at his own personal expense — his own intimate personal expense, if you will.
Luis Campusano, Pickin' Machine pic.twitter.com/cWgGLlORP8
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 4, 2024
Luckily enough for Campusano, a ball off his midsection didn’t knock him out of the game. After a moment to gather himself, he was back behind the plate and ultimately went 1-for-4 in a 7-1 Padres victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Expect Campusano to get a well-deserved day off on Saturday.
