The San Diego Padres will be without their starting first baseman for a little while as Eric Hosmer suffered a fractured left index finger while attempting to lay down a bunt during Monday's game against the Colorado Rockies, the team announced, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
Manager Jayce Tingler said Tuesday the team expects Hosmer to miss between two to six weeks, according to ESPN.
Because of the fracture's location, it's possible he'll get some game at-bats in the regular season's final week to prepare for the postseason, sources told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Knowing Hos, he's a tough guy, and knowing his pain tolerance ... with some good luck and some good fortune, it heals up, and at that point, it'll be up to pain tolerance," Tingler said, per ESPN. "If we can get it to that point, I feel very confident betting on the man.''
The injury occurred during a first-inning at-bat. The two-strike bunt attempt resulted in a foul ball and strikeout. Mitch Moreland took over at first base at the beginning of the second inning.
Hosmer, 30, was in the midst of a strong campaign, hitting .288/.344/.542 with eight homers over 31 games. The former All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner signed an eight-year, $144-million contract with the Padres prior to the 2018 season.
Moreland will likely take over the majority of playing time at first base going forward. The former All-Star was acquired this past trade deadline in exchange for two minor leaguers as a depth piece on the bench. The 35-year-old is hitting .279/.374/.605 with eight home runs.
