Padres make official roster move to welcome Jason Adam back just in time

The Padres have spent nearly three months surviving without Jason Adam. Now they get him back right before the playoffs with a chance to see whether his return can strengthen the bullpen even more. They activated Adam from the 60-day IL before Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Griffin Canning (who has recently improved) was optioned to the Arizona Complex League to clear an active-roster spot, while Alek Jacob was DFA’d to open room on the 40-man roster.

With four regular-season games remaining, the Padres have a brief window to find out if Adam’s shoulder, and his command, can handle meaningful postseason outs.

Before a right shoulder strain sidelined him at the end of June, Adam posted a 2.51 ERA across 36 appearances and 32 1/3 innings. That’s who the Padres hope they’re bringing back.

Jason Adam returns as Padres evaluate their postseason bullpen

We can’t jump to conclusions and assume Adam is climbing right back into a setup man role. Adam carried a 5.11 ERA in June before landing on the IL. Even if he feels healthy, he still may need time to rediscover his command. The good news is that the Padres have plenty of options.

Mason Miller, Adrián Morejón, Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta have already given Craig Stammen a deep group of late-inning options. Adam’s return adds another matchup weapon and, just as importantly, gives Stammen a chance to stop squeezing the same trusted arms at every critical juncture.

The Padres have four games to define Adam’s October role

The corresponding moves underline how little room remains for sentiment. Canning was optioned. Jacob lost his 40-man spot. The space was created because the Friars believe Adam has a chance to make an immediate impact. He just has to justify it.

Hopefully, the Padres will give him a clean inning before asking him to inherit traffic or face the heart of an order. How he responds in his first couple of appearances could give them solid answers as the season comes to a close.

There is also no reason to force the issue. If Adam looks sharp against the Dodgers or Diamondbacks, Stammen gains another legitimate late-game lever. If the rust is obvious, the Padres already have alternatives. Regardless they get a short, honest evaluation before postseason rosters and bullpen roles become real decisions. Either way, welcome back.

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