Padres’ Luis Campusano out about eight weeks after having thumb surgery

Well this wasn’t news San Diego Padres fans were expecting to read tonight.

Catcher Luis Campusano had left thumb surgery yesterday and will be sidelined for “roughly” eight weeks, according to manager Bob Melvin.

Campusano injured his thumb warming up Nick Martinez in mid-April. He ended up catching (and homering) the night after but that must have made the problem worse, as Brett Sullivan was called up that Sunday to serve as the backup catcher. Campusano shortly thereafter was put on the IL after it became clear this wasn’t a small issue anymore.

The 24-year-old was about to get more playing time than he had ever gotten at the major league level because Austin Nola didn’t have a good start to the season but then the injury occurred and now Sullivan is the guy who is getting more playing time.

This is obviously a blow for the Padres, as Campusano had the potential to become the team’s starting catcher at some point this season but now that might not happen. Based on Melvin’s eight week timeline, Campusano won’t be back until July. He would still have a few months to prove himself but who knows what the catching situation will look like that far down the road.

This setback for Campusano leaves Nola and Sullivan as San Diego’s options for the next couple of months. Nola enters Friday night hitting .152 with a 36 OPS+ (league average is 100) and Sullivan has appeared in just ten games at the major league level.

Sullivan is starting tonight behind the plate for Blake Snell.