The Padres have added another outfield option to the mix, signing Dustin Harris to a minor league deal late last week and sending him to Triple-A El Paso, where he made his organizational debut yesterday.
San Diego never officially announced the move, but Harris, a left-handed hitter, reported to El Paso after opting out of a minor league contract with the White Sox at the start of July. He had spent the previous couple of months with Triple-A Charlotte after joining Chicago on another minor league deal in May.
That wasn’t his first run through the White Sox system. Harris originally signed a non-roster contract with Chicago in the offseason and was called up in early April. The Sox later lost him on waivers to the Astros, then got him back when Houston let him go a few weeks later.
The 27-year-old has put together a solid season at Triple-A, hitting .306/.392/.481 with six homers in 187 plate appearances. Over nearly 1,500 plate appearances across four seasons at the level, he’s posted a .280/.370/.428 line.
His major league chances have been limited, and in 38 games he’s hit .225 with a couple of home runs. Before this year’s stops with Chicago and Houston, Harris spent his first couple of seasons in the Rangers organization.
The fit in San Diego makes sense. The Padres lost starting left fielder Ramón Laureano to what is likely season-ending hip surgery, and Samad Taylor had filled in over the past month before going down with an oblique strain. Gavin Sheets handled the main left field duties for the final few games before the All-Star Break.
With no depth outfielders on optional assignment to El Paso and Jase Bowen as the only true backup outfielder on the big league roster, Harris gives the Padres another name to work with. He joins Nick Solak and Bryce Johnson among the club’s non-roster depth options.
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