The San Diego Padres made quite a number of decisions ahead of their 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. San Diego’s decisions included moving shortstop C.J. Abrams to Triple-A, reinstating both outfielder Wil Myers and first baseman Luke Voit from the 10-day injury list, and designating outfielder Trayce Thompson for assignment.
Both Myers and Voit attended the game on Tuesday in a bid to up the Padres’ struggling offense. Myers had four at-bats and double ones on hit and RBI. Meanwhile, Voit made two at-bats, one run, and two walks.
San Diego’s big moves were not accepted well by fans, especially Abrams’s demotion and the deployment of two players straight from the injury list to help the franchise’s crippling offense, which led many to question the Padres’ decision going on forward.
Myers, Voit in starting lineup while Abrams out
Abrams was San Diego’s top shortstop prospect. In a way, the 21-year-old somewhat had it coming when the franchise hired former Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Sergio Alcantara on Monday. Abrams has been sharing shortstop duties with South Korean professional Kim Ha-Seong.
San Diego laid eyes on the young talented shortstop in 2019. Abrams was picked from that year’s draft sixth overall. On June 8 of the same year, the Padres signed him to a $5.2 million contract, and straight he went with an assignment to the Arizona League Padres.
The Padres included Abrams in their main starting lineup on April 7 this year after a series of Triple-A, Double-A, and injuries. The shortstop made his big league debut only to be demoted to Triple-A this Tuesday. In 20 games he played for San Diego, Abrams slashed .182/.270/.273 in addition to .543 OPS and a single home run.
While both Myers and Voit last played for the Padres in late April this year, the former suffered a thumb injury and the other had a biceps tendon issue. Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Myers made 59 plate appearances and slashed .218/.254/.273, while Voit had 54 plate trips in addition to his trivial .143/315/.167.
Other than the trio, Thompson was also involved in San Diego’s major roster change. The 31-year-old signed with the Padres on March 13 this year, relatively fresh from free agency. Previously, the right-handed batsman played for almost a year for the Cubs.
Unfortunately, he only made six games with San Diego, slashing .071/.188/.071 with seven strikeouts. Thompson was not given enough time to shine as the team had its focus mainly on freeing up its roster.
As the Padres continue to free up more empty spaces for their lineup overhaul, Thompson’s name was dragged for the assignment tag. The former Chicago White Sox will likely receive another chance, but it remains unclear what the club will decide.
The 31-year-old is a respected veteran outfielder, despite being at risk of heading to free agency. He has played for seven clubs, including the Padres, throughout his career since the White Sox picked him in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
