Andrew Cashner Returns to San Diego Padres, Jason Lane DFA’d

The return of Andrew Cashner tossed a curveball into the story of Jason Lane’s conversion to pitching. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball is humbling and heartbreaking. After the elation of a return to the big leagues in an unconventional way, the Padres Jason Lane got a harsh reminder of that this past weekend.

To make room on the roster for Andrew Cashner’s return to the rotation Sunday, the club designated Jason Lane for assignment. A claim and trade to another team or an assignment to Triple-A El Paso is the reality for Lane now.

But the story is not over for Lane, who tossed four and a third innings of one hit ball in his first big league game as a pitcher and first big league game since 2007 last week. The 37-year-old former outfielder still believes in his potential stuff and he is not alone.

Catcher Rene Rivera was impressed by how Lane threw, telling MLB.com’s Corey Brock, “He had good command of the fastball, not a lot of velocity, a really good change up…a slider that was better than I thought.”

As for Lane himself, he stated his confidence simply: “I just get a feeling I can get people out.”

The club has 10 days to make a move on Lane, a move that will help determine the next twist in his unlikely saga.