The San Diego Padres
have officially called up outfielder Jase Bowen
from Triple-A ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The corresponding move was an unfortunate surprise.
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Outfielder Ramn Laureano was placed on the injured list due to right hip inflammation. The move was retroactive to May 31.
In order to make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta
was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Padres Place Ramn Laureano on Injured List
Laureano has struggled mightily this season after getting off to a hot start.
The 31-year-old is slashing .203/.286/.374 with seven home runs, 21 RBIs and an OPS of .660.
Early in the year, Laureano was the team's leadoff hitter. However, he's been dropped to the back of the lineup as of late, and will now miss at least the next week-plus with the injury.
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Over his last 30 games, Laureano is hitting just .143 with an OPS of .518. He didn't play in the team's series finale against the Washington Nationals
on Sunday after going 0-for-7 in the first two games of the series.
Who is Jase Bowen?
Bowen, 25, will make his major league debut on Tuesday as he's in the team's starting lineup against the Phillies.
The former Pittsburgh Pirates
' 11th-round pick in 2019 joined the Padres this offseason
on a minor league deal after spending his entire career with the Pirates organization.
At Triple-A El Paso this year, Bowen was in the midst of a career year, slashing .292/.362/.600 with 13 home runs, 36 runs batted in and an OPS of .962. He added 11 doubles, five triples and seven stolen bases, showcasing his speed.
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The Padres offense desperately needs a spark as the team has a combined OPS of .656 this year, which ranks 29th in MLB (only ahead of the New York Mets
). The Padres' 60 home runs are tied for 17th in MLB, while the team's combined batting average of .218 ranks dead last.
Despite these offensive woes, the Padres have been able to win games, entering Tuesday's series opener against the Phillies at 32-26.
With that being said, if the Padres were getting consistent offensive production from Fernando Tatis Jr.
, Manny Machado
and Jackson Merrill
, one can only imagine how many wins this team could have right now.
It remains to be seen what Bowen's role will be for San Diego. If he plays well, he could take over Laureano's everyday duties in left field.
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Padres Transfer Nick Pivetta to 60-Day Injured List
The Pivetta move was more procedural than anything else as he's nowhere near a return to action
.
Pivetta is expected to return sometime after the All-Star break
, which is well after the 60 days would be up.
Pivetta was placed on the injured list in mid-April with a flexor strain in his elbow. He just started a throwing progression, and is likely at least two months away from returning.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi as Padres Shockingly Place Outfielder on Injured List, Call Up Top Prospect Jase Bowen
.
