The two A-level minor league teams (Lake Elsinore Storm and Fort Wayne TinCaps) end their season on Sept. 7, while the Double-A and Triple-A teams (San Antonio Missions and El Paso Chihuahuas) finish on Sept. 14 and 21, respectively. MLB teams can expand their rosters from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1 and most bring up a pitcher and an extra bat for the bench.
That still leaves time for the Padres organization to give playing time to valued prospects and continue evaluation on recent draft picks. The
Padres got Eguy Rosario, Tirso Ornelas and Bradgley Rodriguez back on the field this past week after IL stints for all. Rosario had sports hernia surgery and was activated for rehab with Fort Wayne. Ornelas came back late last week from plantar fascitis and Bradgley Rodriguez has returned after battling with arm and shoulder issues since July. Reliever Francis Pena was activated mid-week after two weeks on the IL.
2025 draftees Truitt Madonna (catcher, 11th round), Landry Junecka (RHP, 18th round), Jaxson Dalena (RHP, 6th round) and Clay Edmondson (RHP, 14th round) all finished their time in Arizona for assessment and development and were assigned to Lake Elsinore. Undrafted free agent signee Bradley Frye (shortstop) was also sent to the Storm.
Outfielder Trenton Brooks was placed on the inactive list, RHP Harold Chirino was placed on the IL, LHP Austin Krob, infielder BY Choi and LHP Yovannki Pascual were all released.
Infielder Ryan Jackson, outfielder Braedon Karpathios and reliever Harry Gustin were all promoted from Fort Wayne to San Antonio.
Right-handed starter Humberto Cruz, who had been having arm issues and was placed on the IL this past week, has a torn UCL and is making a decision regarding his options.
EL Paso Chihuahuas (67-55 record, 2nd Pacific Coast League, East)
Tirso Ornelas remains the last outfielder on the 40-man roster that could take the place of Jackson Merrill on the 26-man roster due to his injury. If the organization wanted to use someone else, they would need to adjust the roster and drop a player that is currently on the 40-man. Ornelas is hitting .286 with an .806 OPS since his return last week.
There is still plenty of pitching depth on the El Paso team to assist the major league club. Many have had some difficult outings in Triple-A, but that is not unusual with the hitting conditions in their division. Rodriguez will require some rehab time before he is available, but could be ready before the playoffs, if needed. Same is true for Pena, both are most likely major league ready now or in the near future.
San Antonio Missions (57-60, 4th Texas League, South)
DH/OF Albert Fabian has slowed somewhat, but has adjusted well in his first month in Double-A with a .273 average. First baseman Romeo Sanabria leads the team with 11 home runs and 51 RBI.
Starters Jagger Haynes and Victor Lizarraga have struggled with command at times over the season. Haynes has a 3-3 record with a 4.35 ERA including 93 K/54 BB in 91 innings pitched. Lizarraga has a 3-9 record and 6.72 ERA including 72 K/47 BB in 76.1 innings pitched.
High leverage relievers Garrett Hawkins and Harry Gustin are both pitching on the same team again after Gustin was just promoted.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (53-63 record, 5th Midwest League, East)
C/1B Lamar King Jr. has played well since his promotion and has a .324/.378/.382 line in August. Infielder Rosman Verdugo leads the team in homers with 12 and has 42 RBI.
Starter Eric Yost continues to lead the team with a 2.89 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched. He has 87 K/33 BB in 17 games. He has forced himself on to the prospect list this year and profiles as a back of the rotation starter or a swing man in the bullpen.
Lake Elsinore Storm (52-65 record, 3rd California League, South)
Outfielder Alex McCoy, who is 6-6 and 260 lbs., signed as an undrafted free agent in July of 2024 out of Hofstra University. Placed on the IL in May with hamstring issues, McCoy joined the Storm in late July and is hitting .325/.404/.543 with 10 doubles, four triples, five homers and 25 RBI in 151 ABs. He also has 11 stolen bases without being caught. There is some swing and miss in his game, so the 40 strikeouts aren’t a surprise, but at 23 years old, he still has time to work on ironing out the swing mechanics for that big frame.
Outfielder Kavares Tears leads the team with nine homers and 57 RBI, while 3B Zach Evans has 62 RBI with 20 doubles and three homers.
Left-handed starting pitcher Kash Mayfield has a 2.98 ERA in 17 games started and 54.1 innings pitched. He has 77 K/27 BB and has completed five innings in his last two starts.
DSL Padres Brown (20-35)
The Dominican Summer League plays a short season and has completed its competition for the summer. The two Padres teams consist of teenaged international players just beginning their professional careers.
Infielder Abraham Bastides is 18 years old and from Venezuela. He led the Brown team with a .333 average and .852 OPS with eight doubles and 16 RBI. Infielder Yonaiker Hernandez, also from Venezuela, is 17 years old, led the team with 18 RBI.
RHP Josias Figuerero, is 18 years old-Dominican Republic, pitched 35.1 innings with a 3.31 ERA in eight games. LHP Marco Eluscat, is 19 years old-DR, threw 40 innings in 10 games with a 5.85 ERA, but had 48 K/21 BB.
DSL Padres Gold (39-17)
The Gold team played themselves into the DSL post-season with their record and had several notable players. CF Moises Valdez, 19 years old-DR, hit .309 with an .832 OPS and had 10 doubles, five triples, a HR and 21 RBI. 2B/SS Jose Verdugo, 17 years old-Mexico, hit .321 with a .928 OPS and had eight doubles, a triple, two homers and 25 RBI. RF Fabian Alcantara, 19 years old-DR, hit .275 with a .948 OPS and had five doubles, 10 homers and 28 RBI. 1B Issac Ponce, 18 years old-Venezuela, only hit .266, but had seven doubles, six homers and 36 RBI.
Ranked prospect (#9 MLB) Deivid Coronil, is a 17-year-old third baseman from Venezuela, who struggled in his first professional season with a .186 average and .542 OPS. He had two doubles and a triple for 12 RBI.
RHP Raymel Belliard, 19 years old-DR, started 11 games with 44 IP and a 2.45 ERA. LHP Jeronimo Palmeros, 18 years old-Mexico, started 10 games with 40.2 IP resulting in a 2.88 ERA with 48 K/10 BB. RHP Jesus Castro, 18 years old-Mexico, started eight games and 43.1 IP with a 2.91 ERA and 46 K/10 BB.
The first round of the playoffs for the Gold team is a best-of-three.
