SAN DIEGO -- In no uncertain terms, Gary Sánchez helped keep the 2023 Padres afloat. Claimed off waivers from the Mets in May, S¨¢nchez raked from the moment he arrived. He fit in seamlessly with San Diego's pitching staff. And although S¨¢nchez wouldn¡¯t quite sustain his torrid start at the plate, he put together a remarkable bounceback season with the Padres.

That bounceback season appears to have met a cruel, early end.

In the Padres¡¯ 5-1 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park, S¨¢nchez sustained a fractured right wrist when he was hit by a pitch from reliever Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the eighth. S¨¢nchez remained in the game momentarily to run the bases, but he was replaced behind the plate by Luis Campusano to start the ninth.

¡°The opportunity I was given here -- the opportunity to play and to have some success -- it¡¯s unfortunate that it¡¯s ending a little bit early,¡± S¨¢nchez said in Spanish through interpreter Danny Sanchez. ¡°But I¡¯m really grateful to the organization for the way they¡¯ve treated me.¡±

Really, the Padres couldn¡¯t have asked for much more from S¨¢nchez. They¡¯d gotten the worst production in the Majors out of their catchers, according to fWAR. So, they claimed him mostly as a flier.

Then, S¨¢nchez debuted and rekindled his All-Star-caliber form. He homered six times in his first 13 games. S¨¢nchez finished with 19 home runs and a .792 OPS with the Padres, to go along with rave reviews from San Diego's pitching staff.

¡°That¡¯s a huge blow for us, man,¡± said Michael Wacha, who allowed three runs across four innings. ¡°Ever since we acquired him, he¡¯s come in and swung the bat really well and been great behind the plate with all of us pitchers. We¡¯re definitely going to miss him. Wishing him a speedy recovery.¡±

S¨¢nchez spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Yankees. He was a two-time All-Star who endured some serious ups and downs in New York. After the 2021 season, S¨¢nchez was traded to Minnesota, then spent time with the Giants and Mets before he was claimed by San Diego, where the fit was perfect.

S¨¢nchez developed a particular rapport with Blake Snell, whose NL Cy Young push took off when he paired with S¨¢nchez as his batterymate. Now, S¨¢nchez is slated to become a free agent after the season, though he clearly has interest in returning.

¡°I¡¯ve been a big fan of the chemistry here, the way coaches have treated me, my teammates have treated me,¡± S¨¢nchez said. ¡°They really received me well from Day 1, and I¡¯ve felt comfortable here, so I¡¯d love to come back. At the end of the day, though, it is a business. We¡¯ll see what happens.¡±

The Padres enter the offseason in need of a catcher. Campusano has emerged as a strong option behind the plate, but he¡¯s done so in a timeshare with S¨¢nchez -- and San Diego might be looking for the same type of arrangement next year, even if S¨¢nchez isn¡¯t the other catcher. Clearly, the clubhouse hopes he will be.

¡°The guy came in with a mission, and he started balling out since Day 1,¡± said Fernando Tatis Jr. ¡°He became one of the best catchers in the game right away. ¡­ He¡¯s a great clubhouse teammate. He¡¯s played hard since the day he got here. How can you put it in words? He¡¯s just a good environment to be around.¡±

S¨¢nchez¡¯s fracture is the latest blow to a team that¡¯s been ravaged by injuries recently. Another of those came Tuesday night when Ji Man Choi sustained a Lisfranc injury in his right foot while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso, potentially ending his season.

Meanwhile, Yu Darvish (right elbow bone spur) and Joe Musgrove (right shoulder capsule inflammation) continue to play catch as they eye late-September returns. But the injuries and the losses are piling up for the Padres (66-75). In the playoff picture, they¡¯re alive only mathematically.

Both Darvish and Musgrove recently signed long-term contracts, and it¡¯s worth wondering if the Padres would simply shut those two down to ensure their health moving forward. The same goes for infielder Jake Cronenworth, who also sustained a right wrist fracture on a hit-by-pitch.

Now, S¨¢nchez joins that group.

¡°You¡¯re sick to your stomach,¡± said manager Bob Melvin. ¡°He¡¯s put together an incredible year. Tough travels to begin with. He gets here and he¡¯s impactful right away, fits into this team like a glove. Just a lot of great stuff he¡¯s accomplished this year. And with not too much time left, it¡¯s a tough pill to swallow for everybody.¡±