DENVER -- Austin Hedges has passed every concussion test he's been given over the past three days, but the Padres' backstop was once again scratched from the starting lineup before Monday night's 9-6 loss to the Rockies and could be headed for a disabled-list stint nonetheless.
Hedges is "still not quite right," in the words of skipper Andy Green. He's been out of the starting lineup for three straight games after taking a foul ball off his mask on Friday night.
"All of his tests they gave him for concussions, he's passing those tests," Green said. "But that doesn't mean you can't have your bell rung and not feel quite right. So he's at the point right now where it takes more time."
After Monday's game, Green said it's very unlikely that Hedges plays Tuesday. That makes a seven-day DL stint increasingly likely, given that the Padres could backdate it to Saturday.
"Based on the way he's felt, I probably won't even consider playing him tomorrow at this point in time," Green said. "We'll decide what we'll do then, if he needs more time, just a few more days. At this point in time, it's the seven-day concussion DL that's a discussion we'll have internally tonight."
Hedges was close to returning Monday but began to feel a bit hazy during the pregame warmups. The Padres weren't about to take any chances with their presumed catcher of the future.
"We're just going to back off, take it day by day," Green said. "He felt really good yesterday. He walked in today expecting the same thing. I checked with him when he got here. [He] still felt good. Then he started doing activity and as his activity level went up, [he was] just not quite right yet."
Hedges, an elite defensive backstop, is hitting .218/.259/.416 with 13 homers in his first season as a full-time starter. His replacement, Hector Sanchez, has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. But Sanchez is likely ticketed for a day off Tuesday, with Luis Torrens slotting in behind the plate.