SAN DIEGO — Padres manager Bob Melvin underwent successful prostate surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, the team announced Wednesday.
Melvin underwent the surgery at UC San Diego Health on Wednesday morning. While he recovers, Melvin is expected to miss at least a portion of the Padres’ forthcoming nine-game road trip.
The veteran manager spoke with media on Tuesday prior to the operation, expressing a desire to return potentially as soon as the Padres’ series in San Francisco beginning on May 20. Melvin acknowledged, however, that the likelier outcome is that he will be back in the manager’s chair for the start of the team’s next homestand on May 23.
Melvin began experiencing symptoms on Thursday, and he missed the Padres’ game that night against the Marlins. Bench coach Ryan Christenson took over in his absence from him and is expected to handle managerial duties for as long as Melvin is out.
Christenson has served as Melvin’s bench coach for the past five seasons, including four in Oakland. While the Padres are on the road, Melvin expects to be in communication with the staff. But he said the team is in good hands with Christenson at the helm.
“He’s a future manager waiting to happen,” Melvin said. “You can ask any of these guys how impactful he is for them. … We look at the game similarly. He’s going to manage it basically kind of the way I do. And we’ve been together long enough to where he shouldn ‘t miss a beat.”
The Padres hired Melvin in October, after he’d spent 11 seasons in Oakland. He’s led the team to an impressive 20-12 start, even while superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and a handful of other impact players have spent time on the injured list.
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