The Padres announced that they have reinstated outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. from the 60-day injured list, as previously reported. In corresponding moves, they optioned outfielder Bryce Johnson and designated outfielder Jose Azocar for assignment.
Azocar, 28, has been largely serving as a speed-and-defense depth player for the Padres in recent years. He has appeared in 214 games over the 2022-24 seasons, but has only been sent to the plate 397 times. He has produced a batting line of .243/.287/.322 in those trips to the plate, which translates to a 74 wRC+. But he has stolen 18 bases while also producing eight outs above average and two defensive runs saved in the outfield.
The Friars have frequently optioned him to the minors in that time but he will be out of options after this year. That would have made it harder for the Padres to keep him on the 40-man, so he’s been bumped off on Monday. He also hasn’t helped his case much with the bat in the minors as he has slashed .276/.309/.402 in 438 plate appearances at Triple-A since the start of 2023 —production that leads to a wRC+ of 70.
Since we are in the post-deadline part of the schedule, the Friars will have to put Azocar on waivers in the coming days. If any club has interest in Azocar’s particular skill set, it could put in a claim and then keep Azocar on optional assignment for the rest of the year, though he will have less roster flexibility in the long run.
