Padres leave injured Díaz off roster, carrying 3 catchers for Wild Card Series

CHICAGO -- The Padres announced their roster for the National League Wild Card Series ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday, with a major shakeup at catcher -- the result of a lingering left oblique injury for Elias Díaz.

Díaz, who sustained the injury while taking a swing on Saturday, was not cleared to be part of the 26-player squad for the series against the Cubs, which begins Tuesday at 12:08 p.m. PT. Instead, the Padres opted to carry three catchers -- calling up both Luis Campusano and Martín Maldonado, neither of whom has spent time with the big league club since before the Trade Deadline.

The Padres remain optimistic that Díaz could be part of a potential playoff roster if they were to advance beyond the Wild Card Series. But manager Mike Shildt noted that after Monday’s workout, it became clear that it wasn’t worth pushing it.

“We're at a point where, with what he's dealing with, he could really be lost for the rest of the year [if he played and aggravated the injury],” Shildt said of Díaz. “But we're also at a point where, if he got some rest, there's optimism he could be OK moving forward, so that's the route we took.”

Freddy Fermin, acquired at the Deadline, remains the regular starter behind the plate, and he earned the Game 1 nod. The Padres’ decision to call up two backups likely stems from the fact that they could pinch-hit for Fermin late in games, and they want cover.

Still, Díaz has been the personal catcher for Game 1 starter Nick Pivetta this season and was expected to start on Tuesday. Pivetta has yet to throw to Fermin in a game.

Meanwhile, Bradgley Rodriguez grabbed the final place in the bullpen. As expected, the Padres carried all five of their starting pitchers for the three-game series, with Michael King and Randy Vásquez expected to be available in relief.

That was evidently enough coverage on the pitching side for the best-of-three series. Glove-first infielder Mason McCoy earned the final roster spot over lefty reliever Yuki Matsui.

Here’s the roster in full:

Catchers (3): Freddy Fermin, Martín Maldonado, Luis Campusano

Infield (7): Ryan O’Hearn, Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Jose Iglesias, Mason McCoy

Outfield (4): Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets, Bryce Johnson

Starters (5): Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, Michael King, Randy Vásquez

Relievers (7): Robert Suarez, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez