The Padres placed southpaw MacKenzie Gore on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, announcing he’s dealing with left elbow inflammation. Righty Dinelson Lamet has been recalled from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot on the active roster.
San Diego had a scare when Gore departed Monday night’s outing due to elbow soreness. The prized young hurler told reporters Tuesday he feels "OK," but the club won’t know much about his long-term status until he heads for further testing, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. In any event, at least a brief IL stint seemed an inevitability after Monday’s premature exit, even if just as a precaution.
Gore made his major league debut earlier in the year and has had a generally impressive rookie season. The 23-year-old posted a 4.27 ERA through 13 starts, but he’s kicked to the bullpen recently as the club keeps an eye on his innings. He’ll now miss at least the next two weeks, opening up a spot for Lamet. The right-hander has been tagged for 13 runs in 10 2/3 innings of relief this season, bouncing between San Diego and El Paso on options and recalls. The Friars sought a trade partner for Lamet — who’s making $4.775M — earlier in the year, and it stands to reason the front office will continue trying to move him before next Tuesday’s deadline.
While the Gore news is certainly worrisome for the Friars, they have gotten positive updates on a few other players. The most notable is that star shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. progressed to taking live batting practice on Tuesday afternoon, via Dennis Lin of The Athletic. It’s the latest notable step in the recovery for Tatís, who has missed the entire season due to a fracture in his wrist. The timetable for his return to major league action is still uncertain, but he’s on track to help the club’s hopeful playoff push at some point down the stretch.
That’s also true of a pair of potential high-leverage relievers. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who has been out for almost a full calendar year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon, has been throwing to hitters of late. Manager Bob Melvin indicated he could soon head out on a minor league rehab assignment, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Meanwhile, offseason signee Robert Suarez is embarking on a rehab stint of his own on Tuesday, per Acee. The hard-throwing righty has been on the shelf since June 7 due to a right knee issue, but it seems he’s on track to return around when first eligible early next month.
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