Padres Injured Outfielder Taking Major Step Toward Return

Jason Heyward's timetable to return to the Padres just gained a little clarity.

The veteran outfielder will begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A El Paso, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Heyward's next game will be his first since May 23, when he suffered a left oblique strain. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day.

Heyward, 35, was slashing .172/.223/.271 at the time of the injury. Acee suggested it's not unimaginable that his time with the Padres would already be over if not for the injury.

It helps Heyward's cause, perhaps, that two of the left fielders who have replaced him in the starting lineup (Brandon Lockridge and Tyler Wade) are having poor seasons at the plate.

The Padres' other interim left fielder, Gavin Sheets, is a better fit at designated hitter and could move back to DH duties once Heyward is cleared to return.

However, Heyward's activation could depend at least somewhat on how he performs at Triple-A. His bat speed (73.2 mph to 72.4), and average exit velocity (88.0 to 85.1) declined compared to 2024 after Heyward claimed an Opening Day roster spot. A tick up in both categories could help his staying power on the Padres' active roster.

There have been enough published reports suggesting the Padres are in the market for a left fielder to conclude Heyward's roster spot is already in jeopardy, regardless of how he performs for the Chihuahuas.

In May, Heyward reflected candidly on his shelf life in a game that favors the young and agile.

"As a player, that’s not easy to deal with,” he said of facing baseball's steep aging curve, via Acee. “Like, you never know when it’ll be your last (season). You want to make the most of the opportunity. But you’ve still gotta be aggressive, still gotta hunt, you still gotta play the game that way.”

The Padres are coming off a critical home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which they lost two of three games to the first-place team in the National League West. Their need to upgrade the left field position could outweigh Heyward's desire to hang on for another season.

The platoon of Heyward and Connor Joe never quite materialized as general manager A.J. Preller hoped in spring training; Joe, the right-handed half of the platoon, was traded to the Reds after going 0 for 9 with six strikeouts.

Padres left fielders have combined for a .541 OPS through Wednesday, 28th in MLB.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.