The San Diego Padres lost Freddy Fermin to a hard mask shot, and Luis Campusano is stepping up at catcher.
The San Diego Padres went into this season with a slightly unsettled situation at catcher, and unsettled changed to uneasy when Freddy Fermin got hit in the mask and had to be removed from a game this week. But Luis Campusano is stepping up, and the Padres have been waiting for this to happen for a long time.
The offense is the big appeal, and Campusano came through in a big way this week. He wasn’t the main offensive attraction in the Padres eight-game winning streak, but he was a part of multiple rallies with some key hits.
AJ Cassavell of MLB.com talked to first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets about the lineup, and Sheets quickly steered the conversation to mention Campusano.
“I don’t think he’s gotten enough love,” Sheets said. “There’s not three walk-offs without Campy. I don’t want that to get lost in what’s going on. Because his at-bats this last week have been against ninth-inning guys, special closers. And we don’t have walk-offs without Campy.
“He hasn’t been the guy that’s gotten 'em done. But he’s been the guy that made 'em happen. Credit to him.”
Cassavell also mentioned that Campusano came off the bench to get some of his key hits, which make his contributions even more impressive. His approach has been steady, and the Padres needed the offense he supplied early on.
“The approach is the same, doesn’t need to change,” Campusano said. “Just being aware of some of the situations and taking a deep breath and trying to do the best I can.
“I’m just staying present, not trying to be a hero, but just trying to control what I can,” he said.
Campusano has also faced issues he can’t control. There were rumors last year that former manager Mike Shildt wouldn’t play Campusano because of his defensive issues, and the catcher also struggled to translate stellar offense in the minors to the big leagues.
Now he’s getting a chance to establish a rhythm of sorts, although it is coming at Fermin’s expense. Cassavell called this a make-or-break year for Campusano, who’s out of options, and it’s easy to forget that he’s spent parts of seven seasons in MLB.
Manager Craig Stammen and his staff trust Campusano, though, and the writer added that part of that trust is based on career overlap. The former reliever threw to Campusano at the end of Stammen’s career, and the catcher is still just 27.
“I always loved throwing to Campy,” Stammen said. “So maybe when the manager feels that strongly about it, it gives him a little nudge. But he’s only done exactly what we expected from him. Probably even a little bit more.
“All the stuff he’s learned over the past four or five years,” Stammen said, “we’re seeing the fruition of all those learning opportunities.”