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Recent pregame media sessions with Padres manager Andy Green have been dominated by news of injuries and rehab delays.
But Green had mostly good news to share Wednesday in his daily press briefing.
A sampler – The Padres have worked out a deal with Seattle to retain Rule 5 outfielder Jabari Blash . . . right-handed starting pitcher Andrew Cashner will return from the disabled list on schedule on May 25, infielder Alexi Amarista was activated from the disabled list Wednesday . . . third baseman Yangervis Solarte is headed to El Paso where he will start his rehab assignment on Thursday . . . center fielder Jon Jay’s shoulder is much improved and he is likely available to play Wednesday although he missed a fourth straight start.
Amarista was activated after playing only one rehab game with Double-A San Antonio Tuesday night. He went 2-for-5 with a RBI and split time in the field between second and third by design. He is the first of the 10 Padres placed on the disabled list this season to return to the 25-man roster.
Amarista had been out since April 20 with a right hamstring strain. He had been 7-for-21 since being promoted from Triple-A El Paso on April 10 to replace Solarte, who had also gone on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain.
Amarista was not in the starting lineup Wednesday night. But Green said he is available to play second and third and give Alexei Ramirez a much needed day off at shortstop.
“He’s going to be playing a lot,” said Green of Amarista. “We’re probably not going to run him out there every day coming off a hamstring injury.”
Solarte, meanwhile, could soon return after a short rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso. “We need him back,” said Green. “His bat was in the middle of our batting order.”
Cashner, who has been on the disabled list since May 9 with cramps in both hamstrings, said he is 100 percent after Wednesday’s bullpen session at Petco Park. “Nothing is holding back his return,” said Green. “When we made the decision to put him on the disabled list last Friday, if we could have pushed his next start back to Tuesday, we’d probably have been OK. But we were short of pitchers because of the doubleheader and couldn’t play short a position player due to the injuries that sidelined Derek Norris and Jay.”
Speaking of Jay, Green said the Padres were ready to send the center fielder out for more tests and discuss a possible trip to the disabled list when he reported in much better condition Wednesday.
“There’s a positive turn today,” said Green. “I don’t think Jay is far off. He’s taking batting practice, swings in the cage.”
The news, however, wasn’t as good for second baseman Jemile Weeks, who has been on the disabled list since May 8 with a right hamstring strain. Green said Weeks is not progressing as quickly as expected and could require a cortisone shot or a surgical repair.
“He saw the doctor last night,” said Green of Weeks. “If it is surgical, it’s something that’s probably more in the six-week range than anything else. He’s having trouble getting full extension right now.”
In one other injury update, Green said that he holds out hope that Tyson Ross could return before the All-Star break, although the right-hander, who has been sidelined with shoulder inflammation since his Opening Day start, still has not started playing catch.
The Padres Wednesday worked out a deal with Seattle to keep Blash. The Mariners will get cash considerations or a player to be named later for Blash, who will be joining Triple-A El Paso.
“I think we saw what he could do last year when he got every-day at-bats at Triple-A,” said Green. “And that’s why we picked him up in the Rule 5 drsaft. We’re thrilled we were able to work out a trade.
“It was a tough hand to be dealt for a guy like him. As big as he is, long-limbed guys have a hard time getting their timing down, especially when they haven’t had success at the Major League level before. Those were tough at-bats for him and nobody really wanted to judge him strictly on those.”
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