Cory Spangenberg’s quad is torn... again.

After injuring his quadriceps muscle after only fourteen games, Cory Spangenberg’s recovery has been slow at best. After suffering minor setbacks at each checkpoint, today word has come out that his quad has been torn again.

We’re 90 games in to the season. Considering that it’s already taken 75 games to get to this point, it’s a safe bet that Spangenberg is lost for the season. Many of us were hoping for a breakout season from the speedy second baseman, but now I’m just hoping that he can return healthy to contribute next year. His speed on the basepaths has always been his greatest asset, and he uses that speed to get hits from bunts and infield grounders. If this quad injury hampers him long-term, we might see an Everth Cabrera-esque falloff in performance.

Where does this leave the Padres going forward? Yangervis Solarte, Ryan Schimpf, Adam Rosales, and the newly-recalled Alexi Amarista are the team’s current options at 2B/3B. Jose Pirela was signed in the offseason and could be in the mix for a job at second base, but understudy Carlos Asuaje has been phenomenal in El Paso. Inflated stats aside, he made the rosters for both the MLB Futures Game and AAA All-Star Game. The question about him is whether they want to start his arbitration/option clock sooner than expected. While the team can certainly make it through the next month-and-a-half with the group listed above, the promotion of Asuaje would be intriguing.

Cuban free agent Yulieski Gourriel had been connected with the Padres in rumors earlier this season. The 32 year old veteran can play second and third, and has been considered one of the best Cuban hitters not already in the MLB. His brother Lourdes is considered one of the best amateur talents available, and some have speculated that the two could be signed as a pair. Well, that option is no longer available since the Astros have reportedly signed Yulieski to a five-year deal.

The baseball fan in me wants to see Carlos Asuaje bring his talents to Petco Park. The practical Padres fan in me wants to ride out the season with Schimpf and Amarista getting the lion’s share of starts at second base. The human in me wants to see Cory Spangenberg get treatment, rest up, and come in to next spring as speedy and lithe as ever. Only time will tell, but this is sad news for a kid we all were pulling so hard for.