Grandal's hand good to go for finale vs. D-backs
Padres catcher was struck on glove side during Goldschmidt's at-bat on Tuesday
PHOENIX -- Imagine the surprise Padres manager Bud Black received early Wednesday when he picked up his phone to see a text message from catcher Yasmani Grandal.
"I was at the hotel and got a text, Yazzy said, 'Buddy, I'm good ... I want to play tonight,'" Black said.
Black was under the impression that Grandal would likely need Wednesday's series finale off after D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit Grandal's left (glove) hand with a swing in the seventh inning on Tuesday.
Grandal was called for catcher's interference but, worse yet, initially felt he sustained a broken finger or a fractured knuckle. It turns out he did neither, as X-rays came back negative.
So less than a day after the injury, Grandal was back in the starting lineup.
Black asked Grandal, who lives in the Phoenix area, if his swing and grip strength were good and then had to see for himself. Grandal arrived at Chase Field early and took a handful of swings in the batting cage several hours before the game started.
Grandal got treatment on the hand after Tuesday's game, which continued after he went home with ice and compression work. When Grandal woke up Wednesday, he felt considerably better.
"He's fine and he's good to go," Black said. "He's a fast-healer."
Grandal has proved to be a fast-healer before in terms of coming back from August knee surgery to make the team's Opening Day roster even though many figured he wouldn't be ready.