Tirso

Ornelas

The positive news here is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures after Merrill fouled a ball off his leg in the game in the contest against the Giants and was replaced by Tyler Wade in center. He’s presumably day-to-day for the moment. However, if this turns into something more significant, the Padres could bring up Tirso Ornelas to help out in the outfield.

Ornelas will remain stationed on the doorstep of the majors, but has been officially added to San Diego’s 40-man roster. The 24-year-old outfielder has been excellent this season for Triple-A El Paso, batting .316/.390/.515 with 12 homers and five steals across 310 plate appearances through 74 contests. He figures to get an opportunity at some point in the second half.

All of the players were long shots to make the MLB roster but will continue to hone their skills and get ready for their respective minor league seasons. The Padres now have 60 players in MLB camp.

Ornelas returns to San Diego as extra organizational depth after slashing .285/.371/.452 with 15 homers and eight steals across 552 plate appearances this past season between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso. The 23-year-old has yet to reach the big leagues, but his opportunity could come eventually if he keeps sticking around in the upper minors for a few more years.