The Padres announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Dustin Harris. Infielder Sung-Mun Song has been optioned to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Lucas Giolito has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Prior to the club announcement, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Harris was in the clubhouse and Song was packing up to leave.
Harris has been bouncing around quite a bit this year. He started the season with the White Sox on a minor league deal. He was added to the roster in April but was designated for assignment barely a week later. He was claimed off waivers by the Astros but lasted a little over two weeks before getting the DFA treatment again. He elected free agency and returned to the White Sox on a new minor league deal. He opted out of that at the start of July, which led him to the Padres on a minor league deal.
He has been with Triple-A El Paso for almost two months and has been tearing the cover off the ball. He has stepped to the plate 135 times in 29 games. He has drawn walks at a strong 10.4% clip while posting a tiny 8.9% strikeout rate. He has six home runs and a .350/.422/.617 line. He has had some help from a .353 batting average on balls in play and it’s a hitter-friendly setting, but wRC+ still puts that production down as 48% better than league average.
Harris has produced huge minor league numbers before, which has led to some major league chances that he hasn’t been able to take advantage of yet. He has a .225/.307/.371 line in his career, though in a small sample of 102 plate appearances.
San Diego is currently deploying an outfield consisting of Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, Jackson Merrill in center and Luis Rengifo in left, with Gavin Sheets getting a lot of playing time in the designated hitter spot. Harris gives the club another bench outfielder alongside Austin Hays and Jace Bowen. With Song being optioned, the Padres don’t really have a bench infielder but Rengifo has lots of experience on the dirt and should be able to spend more time there, if needed.
As for Giolito, it’s purely a procedural move. He landed on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation June 22. He has already been out more than 60 days and is therefore eligible for reinstatement at any point. He has not yet begun a rehab assignment.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Sabau, Imagn Images
