Padres News: Triston McKenzie decision, minor league promotions, Jose LeClerc

injuries, and releases, the Friars minor league picture is starting with the draft signing deadline coming later this month, this probably is not the last wave of movement, but it was still notable.

The most recognizable name on the list is Triston McKenzie, whose reset with the Friars never really got off the ground. They took a low-risk shot on the former Cleveland Guardians starter and the gamble didn’t really work out. McKenzie once looked like a rising star when he posted a 2.96 ERA in 2022 and gave Cleveland nearly 200 innings that season. It went downhill quickly for him, getting derailed by a partially torn UCL in 2023, and never looking the same afterwards.

McKenzie struggled badly with Triple-A El Paso, and the Padres eventually pulled the plug. A 15.98 ERA, a 3.85 WHIP and 40 walks in 16 1/3 innings simply wasn’t going to cut it. 

Padres move on from Triston McKenzie as farm system shuffle begins

Kannon Kemp has been reinstated from the IL to join Fort Wayne. Johan Moreno earned his second promotion in a month and is heading to Triple-A El Paso after posting a 3.93 ERA in Double-A San Antonio. And left handed pitchers Ryan Och and Jamie Hitt are moving up to Double-A.

That is a lot of movement, and it tells us the Padres are doing more than filling blank spaces on affiliate rosters. They’re rewarding players, covering innings and making internal adjustments that usually come before more roster trimming. 

The Padres also released left-handed reliever CJ Widger, who had a 6.95 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 22 innings in High-A Fort Wayne. 

Earlier this season the Padres signed reliever José Leclerc to a minor league deal on March 27. He’s currently rehabbing right shoulder in the Arizona Complex League after surgery from the previous season. The Padres have another decision looming 

Leclerc is on the clock after being on the 60-day injured list, and his rehab assignment means the Padres have another decision coming as it looks like he’ll soon be activated. At his best, Leclerc has been a legitimate late-inning weapon. He had a dominant 2018 season (1.56 ERA, 85 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings) with the Rangers and later played a big role in Texas’ 2023 World Series run.

San Diego’s system is moving, and with the draft signing deadline on July 27, Leclerc’s rehab clock and more roster decisions coming, this feels like just the beginning of an organizational shake-up. 

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