Padres News: Middlebrooks Optioned To El Paso

The San Diego Padres have optioned infielder, Will Middlebrooks, to Triple-A El Paso, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In his place, the Padres have called up, ugh, Abraham Almonte, to take his place on the club roster.

When asked on the decision, interim manager Pat Murphy said that Middlebrooks needed to “find himself” hopefully the same way that Jedd Gyorko seems to have done this season as well.

The former top prospect for the Boston Redsox was acquired this offseason with the hope, like many of the Padres offseason acquisions, of having a turn season. So far Middlebrooks has only been able to put together a sub-par .212/.241/.361 this year.

The move have also have a lot to do with giving Middlebrooks move work at shortstop to help improve his below-average defensive ratings.

I would predict that Middlebrooks will earn another shot at big league playing time this season. I’m sure we all want him to turn it around, but I think we have to be realistic that the change in scenery has not worked so far.

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