The Padres used Saturday’s roster shuffle to draw a sharper line around their October plans, bringing Gavin Sheets back into the mix while sidelining Casey Mize and sending Kyle Hart to the Arizona Complex League before the game against the Diamondbacks in San Diego.
Mize went on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain. Sheets was activated after a month away with a left foot sprain, while Hart was optioned to the ACL and right-hander Griffin Canning was recalled.
Mize’s ankle closes the door on early playoff rounds
Mize had little realistic path to the Padres’ Wild Card Series roster after a difficult stretch in San Diego, but the injured-list move also removes him from consideration for a possible National League Division Series roster.
Acquired at the Trade Deadline, Mize made 10 starts for the Padres and posted a 7.36 ERA. He was tagged hard Friday night and was not expected to be part of the club’s three-man Wild Card rotation.
The ankle issue dates to an August start, when Mize slipped on the dugout stairs. Manager Craig Stammen said the injury had affected Mize more than the pitcher had previously acknowledged.
“It has been really frustrating dealing with the ankle,” Mize said after Friday’s outing. “I haven’t been able to use my lower half the way I need to, or really get behind the ball and finish pitches. That has made it hard to execute.”
Hart is not automatically out of the postseason picture, though his route back would likely require an injury elsewhere on the staff. The left-hander has appeared in 46 games and owns a 4.92 ERA, but San Diego has enough relief depth that room is tight.
Sheets returns as a left-handed postseason option
Sheets’ activation gives the Padres another potentially valuable left-handed bat against right-handed pitching. He had been dealing with a plantar plate tear for much of the second half and aggravated the problem during a trip to Tampa Bay last month.
The injury could still lead to offseason surgery, but rest was expected to give Sheets a chance to contribute in October. Before the foot began affecting his swing, he carried a .754 OPS against right-handers through June.
San Diego is expected to use Sheets strictly as an offensive player. Although he spent time at first base and in left field earlier in the season, he is now viewed as a designated hitter or pinch-hitting option rather than a defender.
That role could matter in a roster built around platoon decisions at designated hitter, catcher and left field. Sheets can start at DH against a right-handed starter or be held for a key late at-bat.
Final roster choices remain for San Diego
Saturday’s transactions left the Padres with 15 position players and 13 pitchers. They must reduce the active roster by two players Tuesday morning, then determine the balance of hitters and pitchers for postseason play.
With only three starters likely needed for the Wild Card Series, carrying all 13 pitchers appears unlikely. Canning could be vulnerable if he starts Sunday, depending on how the club arranges its final staff.
Hart’s option also clarifies the late bullpen competition. David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Hart had appeared to be battling for two places. Peralta has a case as the third left-hander behind Adrian Morejon and Yuki Matsui.
Morgan has strengthened his position with a 0.96 ERA over 9 1/3 innings in September. He appears to have played his way onto the playoff staff unless the Padres choose to go even lighter on pitching and carry only 11 arms.
On the position-player side, Sheets’ apparent readiness likely pushes Sung-Mun Song out of the postseason group, leaving 14 hitters under consideration. The remaining question is whether Miguel Andujar will be activated—and, if he is, which player would surrender a roster spot.
