Padres’ Dustin Harris turned an August release into a postseason roster case

The Padres’ postseason roster debate has somehow reached a player they released five weeks ago. They cut Dustin Harris from Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 5, re-signed him two days later and promoted him to the majors on Aug. 24. Entering Saturday, Harris was slashing .355/.394/.452 in a Padres uniform while the club held the NL’s final Wild Card position by half a game.

That is some serious career whiplash packed into a month. But Harris hasn’t hesitated to make the most of his opportunity here.

He began the season bouncing between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros organizations. He eventually reached El Paso as a depth addition. Now we have to ask whether the Padres can afford to leave him off their postseason roster.

Dustin Harris brought his most useful El Paso traits to San Diego

Harris demolished Pacific Coast League pitching after joining El Paso, slashing .350/.422/.617 with six home runs and 10 stolen bases in 29 games. His 1.039 OPS included an inside-the-park homer and a stretch of three consecutive games with a homer. PCL numbers always require an altitude tax. So it’s not a surprise that the home-run power has remained in Triple-A, with Harris still homerless in the majors so far. But the rest of his offensive game has traveled surprisingly well.

Harris has 11 hits and only five strikeouts in his first 31 at-bats with the Friars. He’s putting the ball in play, running well and really making pitchers work. Those skills translate for any major league ballclub. They are especially valuable when a team is trying to squeeze wins from a relatively depleted bench.

Friday’s victory over the Giants showed exactly what that can look like. Batting eighth, Harris delivered a game-tying RBI single in the second inning. He later drove a two-run triple off the right-field wall, extending San Diego’s lead to 6-1. That cushion became awfully important when the Giants rallied late in the Padres’ 7-5 win.

The Padres suddenly have a legitimate postseason decision

Entering Saturday, Harris had only 31 Padres at-bats, and his .355 average was bound to encounter gravity eventually. His postseason case already had substance. Then the Padres made their strongest statement yet.

Harris started in right field and batted second Saturday against Giants left-hander César Perdomo, directly between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Five weeks after San Diego released him, Harris occupied one of the most valuable spots in the batting order during a game carrying real Wild Card consequences.

The handedness makes the decision even more telling. Harris is a left-handed hitter, yet the Padres still wanted his contact skills near the top of the order against a lefty. Austin Hays batted sixth on the same lineup card. Samad Taylor hit ninth. San Diego started all three players whose eventual roles it must sort through, and Harris received the premium assignment.

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