San Diego Padres turn to surprising call-up after Jackson Merrill injury

The San Diego Padres continue to keep its fans on their feet. With the team's young star in Jackson Merrill headed to the injured list for a third time this year, the Friars elected to not fill that roster vacancy with another outfielder.

Tirso Ornelas, an outfielder with Triple-A El Paso, has been a steady bat in the minors, but San Diego decided to not promote him. Rather, the Padres called up infielder Will Wagner, who was traded from the Blue Jays ahead of a wild trade deadline. The organization clearly went in another direction to make up for Merrill's unfortunate absence , which is a tad baffling.

Padres promote infielder Will Wagner as Jackson Merrill heads to injured list again

Ornelas, a corner outfielder, has not played in the big leagues since April, which was a forgettable experience. He batted 1-for-14, but only struck out twice. He's been strong in Triple-A since he was demoted, generating an .834 OPS, so maybe he needs another shot with the Padres, but that idea will have to wait a little longer.

San Diego went with Wagner, who has only ever played within the infield. A .270 hitter with El Paso, Wagner has driven in 17 runs in his new threads, all of which has happened in August. It's arguable that Wagner deserves a spot on an MLB roster, but there may be no room for him to consistently contribute.

Wagner got his first crack with the Padres on August 24. Pinch-hitting for Xander Bogaerts in the ninth inning trailing, 8-2 against the Dodgers, Wagner grounded out in his San Diego debut - and that was it for him. Are pinch-hitting opportunities all that Wagner will see in 2025? The left-handed hitter is batting .248 against righties, which is marginally better than Bogaerts' metrics. Maybe just being a bench option is all the Padres need Will Wagner to be, but maybe giving Tirso Ornelas another chance is merited at some point before the regular season concludes.

The current outfield for San Diego is Bryce Johnson, Ramon Laureano, Gavin Sheets, and Fernando Tatis Jr. So perhaps, four outfielders - with Ryan O'Hearn being a potential fifth - on the active roster is enough in the interim until Merrill returns.