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      Steve Drumwright

       

      The success of Ty France has left no room for Sung-Mun Song on the San Diego Padres' roster.

      As such, with Song's rehab assignment having expired, the infielder from South Korea was activated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A El Paso.

      Song had reinjured his oblique in spring training following an offseason incident in mid-January. That landed him on the injured list to begin the season. He ramped up at El Paso, playing second base, third base and shortstop. In 16 games on the rehab assignment, which began March 27, Song posted a .276/.364/.310 slash line with no home runs and 10 RBIs.

      He was signed to a four-year, $15 million contract in December following nine seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization and looked at as the primary infield backup going into spring training. Song opened eyes the last two years with slash lines of .340/.409/.518 in 2024 and .315/.387/.530 in 2025. He combined for 45 homers and 46 stolen bases in those two seasons.

      France, the former San Diego State star, earned the last bench spot with his strong spring, then has continued that into the regular season. France, who started his career with the Padres in 2019, is slashing .273/.333/.455 with one homer and one RBI while playing in eight of the Friars' 18 games. The reigning AL Gold Glove first baseman is somewhat limited positionally, though, which is a big reason why right fielder and former shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. played second base in back-to-back games over the weekend. France can play second or third, but is not very strong defensively there.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Sung-Mun Song is finally getting his chance.

      After a spring training interrupted by a second oblique injury that cost him a spot on the Opening Day roster, the South Korean infielder was called up by the San Diego Padres on Saturday to make his MLB debut this weekend. Song is the extra player for the two-game Mexico City Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will have to be returned to Triple-A El Paso following Sunday's game, barring an injury to a position player.

      The 29-year-old Song, a key signing in the offseason, was close to being able to start the season with the Padres, but he still needed some at-bats and was put on the 15-day injured list. He started a rehab assignment with El Paso and spent the maximum 20 days there. With no room on the 26-man roster and no one underperforming, Song was optioned to Triple-A.

      Song has done well at El Paso, with a slash line of .293/.369/.320 with no homers and 12 RBIs in 20 games. He has not attempted a stolen base. Now Song will get a chance to make his MLB debut in the high altitude of Mexico City.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Yuki Matsui is finally back with the San Diego Padres. But Jake Cronenworth is out for a brief period.

      Matsui, the left-handed reliever, who has been out since spring training with a strained left groin, was activated off the 15-day injured list Tuesday, while Cronenworth, the starting second baseman, went on the seven-day concussion list. Left-handed reliever Kyle Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso and infielder Sung-Mun Song was called up.

      We have made the following roster moves:

      [image or embed]

      — San Diego Padres (@padres-mlbbot.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 2:30 PM

      Cronenworth's concussion is the most surprising of these moves. He did not appear to be injured in Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

      Matsui had seemed close to being ready for Opening Day during spring training, but he did not appear in a Cactus League game. So he began the season on the 15-day injured list and began a rehab assignment with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas a week later.

      At El Paso, Matsui made 11 appearances, allowing seven runs on 17 hits with three walks and 14 strikeouts in 17⅔ innings. In two of his final three games, he went two innings. In his two years in MLB, Matsui has a 3.86 ERA in 125 appearances, with an 11.3% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate.

      Song was called up as the extra player for the two-game Mexico City Series two weekends ago, but made only one pinch-running appearance. He was still recovering from an oblique injury at the start of the season and, once healthy, there wasn't room for him on the major-league roster, so he was optioned to El Paso. Now, he will fill in for Cronenworth at second base and make a case for him to remain on the roster. In 25 games at El Paso, Song had a .293/.364/.354 with one homer and 15 RBIs. His homer came in Sunday's game for the Chihuahuas.

      Hart had a 5.40 ERA in 12 appearances, walking six and striking out 10 in 16⅔ innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

       

      Looking for a jolt in their moribund offense, the San Diego Padres are dipping down into the minors for some help.

      Outfielder Jase Bowen is set to be called up from Triple-A El Paso by the Padres to make his MLB debut before Tuesday's series opening against the Philadelphia Phillies, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported Monday. A corresponding move to get Bowen on the 26-man and 40-man rosters will be needed.

      The 25-year-old Bowen has been one of the Chihuahuas' best hitters all season, posting a slash line of .292/.362/.600 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs. His 13 homers are second in the Pacific Coast League and his 36 RBIs are tied for the team lead with Mason McCoy. Bowen notched his 13th home in Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes. Bowen also has seven steals in 11 chances.

      Bowen ranks in the top five in the PCL not only in homers, but in slugging percentage (.362), triples (5), extra-base hits (29), total hits (57) and runs (48).

      The Padres rank last in MLB with a .218 batting average and next-to-last with a .656 OPS.

      An 11th-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 out of Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio, the two-sport star turned down a football scholarship to Michigan State, where he would have been a wide receiver, to sign. Bowen joined the Padres this offseason on a minor-league contract after becoming a six-year free agent.

      In spring training, Bowen tied for the team lead with four homers and drove in 11 while also stealing a team-high seven bases.

      Who Bowen takes over for is another question. The Padres could opt to send infielder Sung Mun Song back down to Triple-A. Song has been a backup and late-inning defensive replacement at second base since Jake Cronenworth went on the seven-day concussion list May 5. It is not known when Cronenworth might return. Fernando Tatis Jr., the Platinum Glove right fielder, has been starting most of the time at second base. Two other possibilities are in the outfield. One would be a simple swap of Bowen for Bryce Johnson, the current backup outfielder. The other would solve both roster issues: designating Nick Castellanos for assignment.

       

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The San Diego Padres will be stuck in the Mud for a few more years.

      In this case, that's actually a good thing.

      Television analyst Don "Mudcat" Grant has agreed to a multi-year extension with the Friars, keeping one of MLB's top announcing teams together. The move was reported Thursday by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Don Orsillo, the team's play-by-play announcer for TV games, signed a multi-year extension last spring.

      Grant is a former right-hander pitcher who spent parts of four (1987-90) of his eight MLB seasons in a Padres uniform. He has been an analyst for Friars television since 1996, following his last in 1993. The Union-Tribune said Grant had been operating on a series of one-year deals. Orsillo has been calling Friars games since 2016.

      Together, they form not only an informative tandem, but a hilarious one as well. Grant is either providing most of the humor or the subject of it.

      They are scheduled to call their first game of the spring tonight at 6:10 p.m. on Friars.tv as the Padres play the Chicago White Sox.

      Steve Drumwright

       

       

      The San Diego Padres will be without their starting shortstop for the next few days.

      Xander Bogaerts was placed on the paternity list Tuesday, with the Padres calling up infielder Will Wagner from Triple-A El Paso.

      The paternity list allows a player to miss up to three days due to the birth of their child. The Padres continue their series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday and Wednesday, then are off Thursday before beginning a road trip Friday against the Baltimore Orioles. It is likely Bogaerts will rejoin the team Friday.

      In 63 games, Bogaerts has a slash line of .231/.303/.356 with eight homers, 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases.

      Wagner, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline, has slashed .255/.381/.382 for El Paso with three homers and 12 RBIs in 30 games. The start of his season was delayed due to an oblique injury. In 79 MLB games with the Jays and Padres the last two seasons, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner has a .256/.329/.346 slash line with no homers and seven RBIs.

       

      Sung-Mun Song is likely to start at shortstop with Bogaerts out.

       

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      A freak occurrence has sidelined Freddy Fermin.

      The catcher was put on the seven-day concussion list Sunday by the San Diego Padres, who called up catcher Blake Hunt from Triple-A El Paso. Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock was designated for assignment to make room for Hunt on the 40-man roster.

      Fermin was injured in the sixth inning of Saturday's 9-3 win. As left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui was warming up, he spiked one of his pitches. Fermin turned his head as he attempted to stop it, but the ball ricocheted and hit him in the back of the head. He was removed from the game, replaced by Rodolfo Duran.

      Luis Campusano, the Padres' other main catcher, remains on the 10-day IL with a fractured big left toe.

      Fermin is the second Padre to currently be on the concussion list, joining second baseman Jake Cronenworth, where he has been since May 5. Fermin had been coming around with the bat recently, homering in three straight games. He has a .148/.243/.262 slash line with those three homers and 11 RBIs in 51 games.

      Hunt was slashing .289/.431/.533 in 15 games in the minors with three home runs and eight RBIs. His season was delayed by an oblique injury.

      Adcock was signed to a major-league contract in the offseason. An oblique injury in spring training sidelined him. In the minors, Adcock has a 7.15 ERA in 11⅓ innings over 11 appearances, with six walks and 15 strikeouts. He has appeared in 18 MLB games the last three seasons with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      MLB on Monday suspended San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio three games and fined an undisclosed amount for hitting Baltimore Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson with a pitch in Saturday's game.

      Marinaccio is appealing his suspension, so will remain on the active roster until that is heard.

      Padres manager Craig Stammen was also suspended one game. Managers can't appeal, so Stammen will sit out Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bench coach Randy Knorr will run the team instead.

      The incident came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

      In the top of the fifth, Padres star shortstop Xander Bogaerts was hit in the left earflap of his helmet by a pitch from Orioles right-handed starter Trey Gibson. Bogaerts had to leave the game an inning later after feeling woozy. No penalty was issued to Gibson.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      One new guy is set to debut, while another is on the shelf for a bit.

      The San Diego Padres activated right-hander Griffin Canning from the 15-day injured list before Sunday's start against the Chicago White Sox, while right-handed starter German Marquez went on the 15-day IL with nerve inflammation in his right forearm

      Canning has not pitched since rupturing his left Achilles in June while with the New York Mets. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Padres as spring training began and made five rehab appearances with Triple-A El Paso.

      With the Mets last year, Canning had a 4.04 FIP (3.77 ERA) in 76⅓ innings, with a 10.7% walk rate and 21.3% strikeout rate.

      Marquez has had a rocky start to his Padres career. He signed for one-year, $1.75 million at the same time as Canning did after a 10-year career with the Colorado Rockies. In six starts this year, Marquez has a 6.69 FIP (5.76 ERA) with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts in 29⅔ innings.

      Marquez started Friday and was roughed up by the Chicago White Sox, allowing seven runs on five hits with five walks and two strikeouts in five innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      It is official: Matt Waldron is back.

      As has been expected since Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta went on the injured list Tuesday, Waldron was activated from the 15-day injured list in order to start Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob, who came up from Triple-A when Pivetta went on the IL, was sent back to El Paso.

      Waldron had been a candidate to make the Friars' rotation out of spring training, but that was interrupted when he required hemorrhoid surgery on Feb. 24. He was back pitching a couple weeks later, but with the additions of right-handed starters Walker Buehler and German Marquez, the Padres could slow play Waldron's return by putting him on the IL to start the season.

      Waldron has been on a rehab assignment at El Paso since the Triple-A season began and has performed very well. He made three starts for the Chihuahuas, tossing 12 scoreless innings, giving up seven hits and a walk against 12 strikeouts. Waldron's stay on the roster will depend on how well he performs as he is out of minor-league options.

      Jacob appeared in one of the three games he was active for, throwing two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 7-6 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Baseball's best closer will be away from the San Diego Padres for a few days.

      Right-hander Mason Miller was placed on the bereavement-family medical leave list Monday by the Friars, who called up left-hander Kyle Hart from Triple-A El Paso. Also, outfielder Bryce Johnson, who was designated for assignment Friday, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

      The Padres open a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

      Miller is second in MLB with 19 saves in 19 chances with a 0.37 FIP (0.90 ERA) after earning a four-out save in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Miller, who fanned three Sunday, has 59 strikeouts in 30 innings, has an incredible 51.8% strikeout rate.

      Hart is with the Padres for a second time this season after making the Opening Day roster. In 12 MLB appearances and 16⅔ innings this year, Hart has a 3.35 FIP (5.40 ERA) with an 8.8% walk rate and 14.7% strikeout rate. At Triple-A, Hart has pitched 14⅔ innings over 11 games for a 7.36 ERA, with nine walks and 15 strikeouts.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      After missing the St. Louis Cardinals series, Mason Miller is back with the San Diego Padres.

      The superstar right-handed closer was activated off the bereavement-family medical emergency leave list Friday. In a somewhat surprising move, right-handed reliever Bradgley Rodriguez was optioned to the Arizona Complex League.

      Details behind Miller not being with the team have not been revealed as of this writing. Miller is second in MLB with 19 saves and has a 0.90 ERA.

      Rodriguez, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, was assigned to the rookie-level team in order to get some planned rest. Rodriguez is a rookie who made his MLB debut last season, appearing in seven regular-season games, then was included on the postseason roster for the NL Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs.

      He has been a key member of a very good Friars bullpen. In 31 games and 34⅓ innings, Rodriguez has a 2.66 FIP (2.10 ERA) with an 8.3% walk rate and 22.2% strikeout rate.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The San Diego Padres became the final MLB team to alter their Opening Day roster, activating late-inning bullpen stalwart Jason Adam from the 15-day injured list Friday.

      To make room for Adam, right-hander Jeremiah Estrada went on the 15-day IL with tendinitis in his right elbow.

      Adam, a right-handed setup man, ruptured his left quadriceps tendon in a Sept. 1 game and required surgery. He progressed well during the offseason, with speculation that he could have been on the Opening Day roster. Instead, Adam started the season on the IL and got in a few more outings during a rehab assignment at Triple-A El Paso.

      At El Paso, Adam made four appearances and didn't allow a run, including two perfect innings Wednesday as a final tune-up. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one in his five rehab innings. He rejoins a Padres bullpen that has been decent in the first 13 games of the season, albeit with a few blips, ranking 10th in MLB with a 3.05 ERA. Friars relievers have worked the fourth-most innings thus far with 56.

      Last year, Adam had a 3.07 FIP (1.93 ERA) in 65 appearances over 65⅓ innings as a key member of a bullpen that had the best ERA in the majors at 3.06.

      Estrada has battled a loss in velocity in his seven outings this season, allowing four runs in his season debut and two more Thursday. Estrada's four-seam fastball has averaged 95 mph this season after being at 97.9 in 2025. He has a 5.14 ERA in 5⅓ innings, with five walks and eight strikeouts this season.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The San Diego Padres could have a new owner as soon as next week.

      According to a report Thursday by Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Seidler family is nearing a decision among a group of four suitors. The sale is expected to be for at least $3.5 million, which would eclipse the previous record for an MLB team of $2.42 million by Steve Cohen for the New York Mets in 2020.

      The four bidders are two owners of English Premier League men's soccer teams, Chelsea's Jose A. Feliciano and Everton's Dan Friedkin, and two NBA owners, Tom Gores of the Detroit Pistons and Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors and WNBA's Golden State Valkyries.

      The Athletic reported that each submitted final bids this week.

      The Padres were recently valued at $3.1 billion by Forbes, up from $1.9 billion a year ago.

      Peter Seidler, whose death in November 2024 set off this process, and Ron Fowler bought the Padres in 2012 for $800 million.

      Steve Drumwright

      After the season he put together in 2025, David Morgan was hoping he had seen the last of El Paso. Unfortunately, he is headed back there after the first month of the 2026 season.

      The San Diego Padres optioned the right-handed reliever to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas on Thursday following a rough start to the season.

      The Padres will need to make a corresponding move before Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. That is likely to be activating left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui off the 15-day injured list, with another possibility being activating right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada.

      Morgan was a surprise in the Padres' bullpen in 2025, appearing in 41 games with a 3.71 FIP (2.66 ERA) in 47⅓ innings following his first call-up to MLB. He had been an undrafted free agent who signed with the Padres in 2022 after finishing his career at Hope International University in Fullerton.

      But this year was a different story. In 11 appearances over 13⅓ innings, Morgan had a 5.74 FIP (6.30 ERA), including 11 walks and 15 strikeouts. His 11 walks are nearly half of what he issued last year (23). His latest outing came in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed a run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. He came on with runners on first and second with one out in a 2-2 game in the top of the sixth and threw a wild pitch and gave up a go-ahead two-out two-run double to Nico Hoerner.

      Matsui went on the IL on March 25 with a strained groin and began a rehab assignment April 4. That assignment is due to end this weekend. He has allowed six runs on 10 hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 10⅔ innings for a 5.06 ERA at El Paso. He pitched multiple innings for the first time Sunday and followed that up with a one-inning appearance Wednesday.

      Estrada had made only two appearances, one at Low-A Lake Elsinore on Friday and the other with El Paso on Tuesday, as he recovers from right elbow tendinitis. He went on the IL on April 10.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Jeremiah Estrada's stay on the injured list wasn't very long.

      The right-handed reliever was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday by the San Diego Padres, who formally announced right-handed reliever David Morgan being optioned to Triple-A El Paso, which happened Thursday.

      Estrada, a vital piece of the Friars' bullpen, had been on the IL since April 10 with tendinitis in his right elbow. He made just two rehab appearances, one last Friday for Low-A Lake Elsinore and another Tuesday for El Paso. Estrada pitched one inning in each appearance and didn't allow a hit or a run, walking one and striking out two combined.

      Estrada's velocity, which in part led to his IL placement, was back to its regular upper 90s after being about 5 mph slower before going on the IL.

      Activating Estrada still leaves left-hander Yuki Matsui on the verge of returning from his strained left groin. Matsui's rehab assignment started April 4, meaning it runs through this weekend before expiring.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The San Diego Padres have lost a second key bat from a struggling offense.

      The Padres on Tuesday placed left fielder Ramon Laureano on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right hip. Outfielder Jase Bowen was called up from Triple-A El Paso and will be making his MLB debut. Bowen's call-up had been reported Monday. Right-hander Nick Pivetta (right elbow inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL to create room on the 40-man roster for Bowen.

      Laureano's slash line has plummeted to .203/.286/.374 with seven homers and 21 RBIs after a good start to the season, where he often batted leadoff. In May, Laureano posted a slash line of .133/.244/.280 with three homers and three RBIs. Laureano did not play in the series finale Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

      Bowen had a cycle in the opening week of the Triple-A season and a multi-homer game as well as an inside-the-park homer.

      The Padres enter the first game of a series against the Philadelphia Phillies with the worst batting average in MLB at .218.

       

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      One of the San Diego Padres' subtle offensive contributors will be sidelined for a bit.

      Designated hitter-third baseman Miguel Andujar was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday by the San Diego Padres due to a strained left hamstring. Outfielder-DH Nick Solak was called up from Triple-A El Paso to take his place. The Padres had an opening on their 40-man roster after outfielder Bryce Johnson was designated for assignment Friday.

      Andujar injured his hamstring in Sunday's 7-3 loss to the New York Mets on a seventh-inning single. While he originally stayed in the game, he was removed, with Johnson pinch-running for him. Andujar did have pinch-hit appearances Tuesday and Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, replaced by pinch-runner Jase Bowen after drawing a walk Tuesday. It is the same hamstring that bothered Andujar earlier in the season.

      Solak is the fourth member of the Chihuahuas to come up in the past two weeks, joining outfielder-infielder Samad Taylor, outfielder Jase Bowen and infielder Will Wagner. Solak has a good track record offensively, but has been a liability defensively, particularly when he was playing second base. He has stuck to corner spots (first base, left field, right field) in recent seasons. This year at El Paso, Solak was slashing .333/.412/.512 with nine homers and a team-high 40 RBIs. His .333 batting average is the highest among players currently in the Pacific Coast League and has reached base in 17 of his last 18 games.

      Solak has 259 games of MLB experience since making his debut in 2019 with a career slash line of .250/.325/.369 with 21 homers and 93 RBIs.

       

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The San Diego Padres are losing half of their catching tandem due to a broken toe.

      Catcher Luis Campusano was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday by the Padres with a fractured toe on his left foot. Catcher Rodolfo Duran was called up from Triple-A El Paso and will be making his MLB debut tonight after 11 seasons in the minors. Duran is starting at catcher and batting ninth in the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.

      Right-handed starter Joe Musgrove (right elbow inflammation) was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to make room for Duran on the 40-man roster. The move is simply procedural from Musgrove's perspective as he isn't close to returning to the active roster.

      Also, infielder Will Wagner was activated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to El Paso, where he had been on a rehab assignment following a strained right oblique in spring training.

      Campusano fouled a ball off his foot in Tuesday's 10-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. He has been a surprisingly significant contributor to the Padres' offense while splitting time with Freddy Fermin. Campusano has a slash line of .288/.362/.596 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games.

      Campusano has had the reputation of an offense-first catcher, but with questionable defense. That second part hasn't shown itself through the first month-plus of the season.

      The 28-year-old Duran is in his second season with the Padres at El Paso. He has a slash line of .238/.356/.429 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 23 games this season. A year ago, he posted a .288/.344/.503 slash line with 16 homers and 73 RBIs in 86 games.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Alex Verdugo era with the San Diego Padres never had a chance to take off.

      The Padres on Monday released the outfielder. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune said the left shoulder injury that Verdugo had sustained about a month ago will require surgery, which would sideline him the entire season.

      Verdugo signed a minor-league contract with the Padres at the beginning of March, perhaps with a chance to eventually contribute to the major-league roster. But that never materialized.

      The 29-year-old was released by Atlanta in July after posting a slash line of .239/.296/.289 with no homers and 12 RBIs. He didn't play in a minor-league game with the Padres.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The San Diego Padres are riding with the new guys.

      Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was activated from the paternity list Friday, with a surprising counter-move: outfielder Bryce Johnson was designated for assignment. The Padres begin a nine-game road trip Friday with three games against the Baltimore Orioles.

      It would have seemed routine had the Padres sent infielder Will Wagner, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, back to Triple-A El Paso after he was called up Tuesday to replace Bogaerts, whose wife gave birth to the couple's third child. Two other choices might have even made sense with outfielder-infielder Samad Taylor or outfielder Jase Bowen, both recent call-ups.

      Instead, it was Johnson, the switch-hitting outfielder who was DFA'd after posting a .178/.229/.222 slash line with no homers and two RBIs in 32 games. The play of Taylor and Bowen, a pair of energy guys, has been solid thus far, in particular some noteworthy contributions by Taylor.

      Johnson, a good defender who can play any outfield spot, is the second player from the Opening Day roster who has been DFA'd, joining outfielder Nick Castellanos. There is a chance that if Johnson goes unclaimed, he could return to Triple-A.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Right-hander Matt Waldron will not be pitching out of the San Diego Padres' bullpen this weekend. Instead, he will be sitting on the injured list.

      The Padres on Friday placed Waldron on the 15-day IL with a right brachialis muscle injury. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob was called up from Triple-A El Paso. The brachialis muscle is a muscle located in the upper arm under the biceps and the injury is typically called climber's elbow from its repetitive use.

      Waldron's spot on the roster was in jeopardy with the impending addition of right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, who signed with the Padres last month and is set to start perhaps Saturday, when he needs to be added to the MLB roster per language in his contract.

      Waldron started Tuesday's series opener vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, but gave up six runs on eight hits and two walks in 2⅔ innings. He then came on in relief Thursday, pitching two scoreless innings. Manager Craig Stammen said after Thursday's game that Waldron would be in the bullpen this weekend vs. the Seattle Mariners. In six games this year, two coming as the bulk pitcher following an opener, Waldron has an 8.49 ERA with seven walks and 22 strikeouts over 23⅓ innings. Waldron had replaced injured Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta in the rotation.

      Waldron is out of minor-league options, which is why his roster status within the organization is so precarious. This now keeps Waldron, who started the season on the 15-day IL following hemorrhoid surgery in spring training, in the organization for the foreseeable future.

      Jacob was up for a couple days in mid-April and appeared in just one game, throwing two shutout innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Lucas Giolito era with the San Diego Padres is here.

      The Padres called up Giolito, a right-handed starter, from Double-A San Antonio to make his season debut with Sunday's start vs. the Seattle Mariners. Right-hander Alek Jacob was optioned to Triple-A El Paso to make room.

      Giolito was already on the Padres' 40-man roster after signing with the team April 22 for one year and $2.8 million. Since Giolito was not injured, he was optioned to the minors to get ready to join the rotation.

      Also, right-hander Jhony Brito began a rehab assignment at Double-A.

      The 31-year-old Giolito was the last of the major free agents from the offseason to sign and joins a Padres rotation that needs an upgrade. Following the injuries and setbacks to right-handers Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, the Friars have mostly done fine in muddling through the first quarter of the season, but Giolito brings quality to the rotation.

      With the Boston Red Sox last season, Giolito posted a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts and 141 innings in which he had a 9.1% walk rate and 19.7% strikeout rate. Giolito missed all of the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery and didn't make his season debut until the end of April

      The Padres also had right-hander Matt Waldron go on the 15-day IL Friday with a right brachialis muscle injury. Waldron apparently had been dealing with the injury for the last few weeks but did not tell the team about it with his roster spot in jeopardy. Waldron replaced Pivetta, the Opening Day starter, in the rotation.

      Giolito made four starts in the minors, two with Low-A Lake Elsinore and two with Double-A San Antonio. Between the four, he pitched 17 innings and had a 4.76 ERA, allowing 11 runs (nine earned) on 18 hits with six walks and 18 strikeouts.

      Jacob came up Friday and pitched in Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Mariners, allowing two runs without recording an out. It was his second one-game call-up this year.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic roster will include the San Diego Padres' two biggest stars.

      That came after third baseman Manny Machado was announced as part of the team. Previously, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was named to the roster.

      The deadline to finalize rosters is Tuesday, with official announcements made by the WBC on Thursday.

       

      This will be Machado's third appearance in the WBC, having played in 2017 and 2023 (no tournament was held in 2020 due to the pandemic). Machado is the latest to become an official member of the team. Superstar New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto was named Sunday, and Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena earlier Monday.

      The Dominican Republic typically has the strongest roster of all the WBC teams.

      Steve Drumwright

      You know it is getting closer to Opening Day when guys thought to be in the mix for a spot on the 26-man roster are sent to minor-league camp.

      Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock, who just returned from an oblique injury, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Adcock had been battling an oblique in camp before making his Cactus League debut Monday.

      Also, infielder-outfielder Samad Taylor and left-hander Jackson Wolf were reassigned to Triple-A. Taylor entered camp as a strong candidate to earn a bench spot. The speedy 27-year-old, who has 38 games of MLB experience, posted a .233/.265/.300 slash line in 30 at-bats over 17 games, with five RBIs and three stolen bases. His path became more difficult as the Padres brought in Nick Castellanos and Ty France early in camp.

      Wolf was a long shot to make the Friars' bullpen, but did get some attention with his spring showing, putting up a 2.38 ERA in 11⅓ innings, walking six and striking out eight.

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