“They traded for me, and I didn’t even play a playoff game with them”— is the one regret Ramon Laureano had at the end of the 2025 season. But he is determined not to feel the same this year. When Laureano underwent hip surgery in June 2026, the doctors handed him a recovery timeline of four to five months. Everyone thought that the Padres’ $6.5 million star’s hopes of returning this season had been effectively dashed. However, it turns out the outfielder is still clinging to hopes of an October return. But he will perhaps forever blame himself for not acting sooner.
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“I have no idea why I kept playing,” Laureano said, per The Athletic. “I’m such an idiot. Stupid, really. That’s some stupid s— right there.”
The San Diego Padres (81-68) are still holding onto the third and final NL Wild Card spot, with the Arizona Diamondbacks (79-71) closely chasing them. They will go head-to-head in the last series of the regular season. It’s only a difference of 2.5 games, but it’s enough for Laureano to keep pushing.
On April 8, playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ramon Laureano re-aggravated an old hip injury that has nagged him for years. During that game, the Padres’ outfielder made two diving catches in the late innings to prevent the Pirates’ comeback. He also stole two bases at the top of the sixth. Somewhere along those plays, his hip worsened. But Laureano chose to ignore it.
“Something happened there,” Laureano told The Athletic about that game. “And I was like, ‘Screw it. Let’s just continue to play ball.’”
Not only did Laureano choose to ignore his pain during that particular day, but he also endured it for more than a month. The last game he played this season was on May 30. He underwent surgery to fix his labrum tear in June. Speaking in hindsight, Laureano blamed himself, calling his decision foolish. If he had undergone surgery in April, he could have returned sooner. If not, even then, the odds of his return would likely have been higher than the current less than 5%.
Laureano’s playing through pain and delaying treatment reminds us of Aaron Judge. The New York Yankees’ captain also played for a month with his fractured rib before he landed on the IL. However, Judge’s stress fracture has healed, and he has returned to the lineup.
Coming back to Laureano, his hip injury is not something new. The issue dates back to 2021, when he was still playing for the Oakland A’s. At the time, when he strained it, doctors reportedly advised him to go under the knife. However, he opted for a cortisone injection as his salary arbitration was coming.
Laureano had a sports hernia procedure in the offseason and struggled at the plate. For the next few years, the Padres’ star shuffled to three different teams, finally settling with the Baltimore Orioles. At the Orioles, he batted .290 with an .884 OPS and 15 homers. His performance pushed the Padres to acquire him via trade in 2025.
Ramon Laureano’s journey with the Padres
The San Diego Padres acquired Ramon Laureano on July 31 last season, alongside Ryan O’Hearn. The Baltimore Orioles got a package of six minor league prospects in return, helping to strengthen their farm system.
Laureano recorded a productive start for the Padres, before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He shattered his right index finger while fouling off a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in September. The injury sidelined him for the rest of the season and postseason. Laureano was left to watch the Padres end their postseason run in the Wild Card Games, losing to the Chicago Cubs 2-1.
In 2025, Laureano was hitting .269 with an .812 OPS and 9 homers and 30 RBIs across 50 games for the Padres. He was under a one-year, $4 million contract that was initially signed with the Orioles.
Laureano’s contract contained a $6.5 million player option for 2026. The Padres exercised it ahead of this season. However, his time has been cut short again due to injury setbacks. Currently, he is able to throw and take swings without feeling discomfort in his hips. Laureano is at the Padres spring training complex in Arizona, and he is scheduled to progress from running to jogging next week.
Meanwhile, he spends his time tracking the Padres’ playoff standings and not giving up.
“I’m not ruling it out,” Laureano told The Athletic. “Every day, I’m working, dreaming about being in the playoffs and performing. But to make it more specific, the chances of me playing are, like, less than 5 percent, the way I have to do all my (rehab) and what the doctor told me to do.”
Meanwhile, the Padres have swept the San Francisco Giants and will begin a series against the Colorado Rockies next.