The Padres announced that utilityman Nick Solak has been designated for assignment. Miguel Andujar was activated from the 10-day injured list in the corresponding move.
The transactions are a clean reversal from June 13, when Andujar was (retroactively) placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain and San Diego selected Solak’s contract from Triple-A El Paso. Andujar’s strain ended up being pretty minor, and thus Solak’s time in the organization could possibly be over after four Major League appearances.
Solak had just one hit and one walk over 10 plate appearances, translating to a .443 OPS. His numbers in El Paso (.333/.412/.512 with nine homers over 241 PA) were far more impressive, though Solak delivered that production in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League.
Most of Solak’s time at the Triple-A level has been spent in the PCL, but pretty much no matter the affiliate, Solak has raked to the tune of a .298/.385/.471 slash line over 2309 career Triple-A plate appearances. This steady production has kept him bouncing around to different teams, though without many looks in the Show. Since the start of the 2023 season, Solak has played in only 10 total MLB games.
Because Solak has been outrighted in the past, he has the ability to reject an outright assignment and choose free agency if he clears waivers. Solak will likely be facing a cycle of DFAs and outrights wherever he goes since he is out of minor league options, so assuming that he does clear waivers, he might prefer to stay put in San Diego’s organization and wait for another spot to open up on the Padres’ roster.
