San Diego Padres newcomer gives honest reaction to joining ‘loaded’ roster as they push for the postseason.
The San Diego Padres added more power to their lineup by trading for Ryan O’Hearn before the MLB trade deadline. O’Hearn, who has 13 home runs and 43 RBIs, came to San Diego alongside outfielder Ramon Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for six minor leaguers.
On Friday, O’Hearn made his San Diego debut in the 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, coming into the game as a pinch hitter and having one at-bat. After the victory, the veteran first baseman spoke with the media and shared his intial impressions on being a member of the Padres.
“A lot of, like, amazingly talented players on this team,” O’Hearn told the media on Friday (h/t The Sporting Tribune’s Marty Caswell). “The team, especially after [Thursday’s deadline], is absolutely loaded. But yeah, very excited to come here, you know, help out and fill in wherever I can.”
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Moreover, the 32-year-old stated what he’ll bring to the Padres lineup as they push to win the NL West, as they entered Saturday only three games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I'm gonna play hard every day,” O’Hearn added. “I like to put the ball in play. I don't like to strike out. You know, I like to get after it, hustle. I'm just gonna show up, play hard every day, be myself, and do whatever I can to help the team.”
The Padres went all in this week, turning their roster into not just one that makes the postseason, but is viewed as a World Series contender. Nonetheless, the first step will be winning the division, which is within sight, and this month, San Diego have a crucial three-game series with the Dodgers that could determine who wins the NL West.
Category: Baseball
