The Padres are reaching again for pitching help, and this time the bet is Jhony Brito.
San Diego’s rotation and staff have been battered all season, so the club is turning to another arm coming off injury in hopes of finding something usable. Brito hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2024, and he’s returning from elbow surgery. That fits the pattern for this Padres season, where low-cost contracts, veteran retreads and minor league deals have been the survival plan.
Manager Craig Stammen said Brito’s role is still unsettled, but the team likes where he is physically.
“What role, that’s to be determined, but we feel good about his rehab process,” manager Craig Stammen said in an article written by Bernie Wilson of MLB.com. “He’s been pitching the ball well and we’re excited to get him [as] a part of our pitching staff.”
Stammen also made clear how fluid things remain from day to day.
“I think we’ve got an idea of what we’re probably expecting tomorrow, but things change on a daily basis,” Stammen added.
Brito’s last appearance for the Padres came on August 10, 1924, Wilson reported. He threw 2-1/3 innings in a 9-8 win in Miami, making his 26th appearance of the season and his first-year work all in relief.
He was also one of five players the Padres got from the Yankees in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to New York on Dec. 7, 2023.
For now, the organization is hoping Brito’s rehab momentum carries over. He has been excellent in four rehab starts split between Triple-A El Paso and Double-A San Antonio, and the Padres need that to translate into real help.
“I’m happy,” Brito said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “After all the time in trying to come back from injury, it’s exciting to be back. Once they told me I was going to come back, I was really excited.”
The injury list around him is crowded enough to tell the whole story. Randy Vasquz, Jason Adam, David Morgan, Lucas Giolito, Jeremiah Estrada and Matt Waldron are all currently injured, with Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove on the longer-term injured list as well.
Brito still doesn’t know exactly how he’ll be used, but he doesn’t sound worried about the uncertainty.
“I feel like I can contribute however the team needs me,” he said. “I know it’s in kind of a bit of trouble right now, but however I can be available, I’ll be there.
“All about the routine that you put together while you’re rehabbing. It’s however your arm is going to feel at the end of the day. After all this rehab and after all the work I’ve been able to put in, I feel like I’m ready to contribute to the team.”
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