Tim Stauffer Activated, Sean Gallagher DFA’d

In a move that was hardly surprising, the Padres activated reliever Tim Stauffer off the 15-day DL yesterday and designated reliever Sean Gallagher for assignment.

The Padres dragged Stauffer’s rehab from an appendectomy out for a full month, likely trying to figure out who to get rid of when he had to return, but ultimately, Gallagher’s poor performance stuck out like a sore thumb in the excellent Padres bullpen.

Still, it hurts to give up a 24-year-old with as much potential as the stocky Gallagher and possibly get nothing in return. I’d be very surprised if a team (say, bullpen-starved Arizona) didn’t claim Gallagher and see what he could do. Hopefully, enough teams will jockey to get him that the Padres will be able to trade him and get a semi-decent prospect in return.

Stauffer, 28, worked as a starter in Triple-A Portland on his rehab assignment, with mixed results. He threw 17 2/3 innings of 4.58 ERA ball, with just an 8/7 K/BB. He didn’t allow any homers, however.

He had a 19/4 K/BB in 23 1/3 innings for the Padres before hitting the DL, posting a sparkling 0.39 ERA.

Gallagher was hampered by an injury earlier in the year and struggled with his command in 2010, walking 19 in 23 1/3 innings of his own. He did strike out 21, but allowed five homers and posted a 5.40 ERA and ghastly 6.85 FIP.