The San Diego Padres took another hit Sunday, putting two important bats on the injured list before their series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Utility man Luis Rengifo and slugger Gavin Sheets both landed on the IL, leaving San Diego to turn to outfielder Samad Taylor and infielder Sung-Mun Song for the corresponding roster moves.
Rengifo’s move was expected after he was carted off Saturday with a non-contact knee injury. He remained down for several minutes before being helped onto the cart, and the Padres later said he had a right knee sprain.
“Obviously, it doesn’t look good,” manager Craig Stammen said after the game. “Non-contact injury.
We’ve got to take care of him and further evaluate it. Losing Luis right in the middle of the game, that situation is tough for all of us to handle.”
Rengifo has been one of the team’s most useful pieces since signing a minor league deal after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers. In 38 games, he’s hitting .291 with four home runs, 17 RBIs and an OPS of .784.
“I think the toughest thing is the emotional part about it,” Stammen said. “When you lose a guy who has meant so much to our team lately, when we’ve been playing well, he has been in the mix of a lot of the good things that have happened offensively.
“You feel for a teammate. You feel for a brother.
He’s a part of the family. We got him late, but he has been a big part of the family.
I know the guys love him in [our clubhouse]. He has been a big energy piece for us.
We’re going to miss it, and we’re going to have to replace him somehow.”
Sheets has been dealing with a left foot sprain, and the Padres said the move gives him a chance to finally let it heal. He had been playing through the injury since July and has mostly filled the designated hitter role while working through it. For the season, Sheets is hitting .211 with 16 home runs, 46 RBIs and an OPS of .701.
Taylor returns after serving as the club’s early-season spark, posting a .330/.410/.398 line in 26 games before going down with a right oblique strain. Song, who was sent down at the start of the week when Dustin Harris was called up, is back on the roster as the replacement for the left-handed hitting Sheets.
In Other News...
Padres Face One September Roster Decision That Could Change Quickly
September always opens the door a little wider, and the Padres are looking at a roster picture that could shift fast as the month unfolds. They have two extra spots to work with and are weighing the usual mix of needs, likely leaning toward adding one position player and one pitcher as they try to balance depth, versatility and September flexibility.
Among the names in the conversation are Ethan Salas, Samad Taylor and Sung-Mun Song on the position-player side, with Jhony Brito, Alek Jacob and J.P. Sears in the pitching mix. Joe Musgroves potential return from injury adds another layer to the decision, since his status could change how the Padres handle the staff and which arm makes the most sense when the roster gets set. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Musgrove Just Forced A Padres Rotation Decision
Joe Musgrove took another meaningful step in his recovery with a rehab outing for Triple-A El Paso, working five innings, allowing one run on five hits and getting through 60 pitches. For the Padres, that kind of workload matters as much as the line itself. Musgrove is trying to get back on track after the back tweak that interrupted his rehab and forced a 13-day pause, and the club now has to weigh what his next step should be as September draws closer.
San Diego is also juggling the rest of its rotation picture, with Casey Mize and Robbie Ray part of the broader mix it is trying to sort out. Musgroves latest start helped move the conversation from whether he is close to where he needs to be to what the Padres want to do with him next. The answer matters, because every decision now feeds into how the staff looks when the schedule turns and the games start carrying more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A September Bench Squeeze As Miguel Andjar Nears Return
Miguel Andjar is expected to be back on the Padres active roster soon after working his way back from a fractured right wrist, and his return arrives at a tricky moment for a club that has spent much of the season trying to keep enough depth on hand without losing flexibility. San Diegos bench has already been tight, with Austin Hays, Dustin Harris and Samad Taylor all in the mix for limited spots as the Padres try to cover the infield and preserve enough options for late-game moves.
September roster expansion usually gives a team a little breathing room, but it can also sharpen the competition for the final chairs in the dugout, especially for a Padres club with postseason plans in mind. Andjars activation will force another round of lineup balancing, and the question now is not just who gets healthy, but who gets squeezed when the roster has to make room. [Read more 🡒]