The Padres’ surge has a new face attached to it, and it’s hard to ignore how quickly Luis Rengifo has become part of the story.
San Diego has ripped off 15 wins in its last 19 games and is riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers. That run has pushed the Padres into sole possession of the National League’s second wild-card spot.
A month ago, Rengifo was on the other side of this equation. He signed with San Diego on a minor league deal in early July after being released by Milwaukee, and the move has paid off fast. In 25 games with the Padres, the infielder has hit .318 with three home runs and 12 RBIs while posting an .861 OPS.
“He came along right at the right time,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “We just needed that little spark and that little bit of energy. And then, he had a hot bat, too.”
That spark has mattered for an offense that spent much of the season near the bottom of the league. Rengifo has given the lineup a lift, and his teammates have clearly noticed the difference as the group has started to play with more confidence.
Fernando Tatis Jr. said Rengifo has made a real impact during this stretch.
“He’s helping us win ballgames in big volume,” Tatis said.
The contrast with Rengifo’s time in Milwaukee is stark. Before the Brewers let him go, he was hitting .205 with 19 RBIs and an .534 OPS.
For Rengifo, though, that’s just part of the grind.
“It’s part of baseball,” Rengifo said. “Things in Milwaukee didn’t go well at the beginning of the season.
But it’s not how you start. It’s about how you finish.”
Rengifo spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels before joining Milwaukee this season, and he has never reached the playoffs. Now he’s trying to help push San Diego through the finish line, and if this version of the Padres keeps showing up, he could wind up being part of the team’s plans next season, too.
In Other News...
Padres Send Another Veteran Pitcher Out As Staff Shakeup Continues
The Padres post-deadline pitching cleanup kept moving with another familiar veteran leaving the picture, a sign that the club is still sorting through the back end of its staff as August gets going. Around the league, a few recognizable names have already come off the roster board, with Ben Bowden accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Las Vegas after being designated by the Athletics, while other clubs have moved on from experienced arms in similar fashion.
For San Diego, the latest departure fits a broader pattern of churn that often follows the trade deadline, when teams start making hard calls on depth pieces and veteran relievers. Germn Mrquez, Chris Martin and Matt Strahm were among the pitchers released by their respective clubs, each with the option to refuse an outright assignment but instead heading straight to free agency, another reminder that this part of the calendar can change a bullpen almost as much as a deadline deal. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Are Turning The NL Wild Card Race Into A Fight
The Padres have turned a middling summer into a real push, climbing from 50-53 on July 23 to 64-57 by Aug. 12 and landing in a three-way tie for the second National League wild card spot. A team that looked stuck in the middle a few weeks ago has suddenly found itself in the thick of the race, and the change has been fueled by a deeper rotation after trades for Robbie Ray and Casey Mize.
Just as important, the offense has started to carry its weight, with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Ty France all giving the lineup a much-needed lift. San Diego is putting real pressure on the clubs around it now, even if the Cubs still sit well ahead for the top wild card berth, and the rest of the race is starting to look less like a cushion and more like a fight. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Move On From Another Pitching Depth Option
The Padres have trimmed another arm from their Triple-A pitching mix, releasing right-hander Misael Tamarez from El Paso after a difficult season in the Pacific Coast League. Tamarez, who joined San Diegos organization in 2025 after previously pitching in the Astros system, spent the year working in relief but never found much traction, finishing with a 6.14 ERA across 31 appearances.
For a club that is always trying to keep enough depth on hand for the long grind of a season, the move is another sign of how fluid the back end of the pitching staff can be. Tamarez is now a free agent, and while the Padres continue to shuffle arms through the upper levels, this one leaves them looking for a more reliable option to fill those innings in El Paso. [Read more 🡒]