SAN DIEGO -- Foul balls have not been kind to the Padres in recent weeks.
Shortstop Erick Aybar, already on the disabled list with what was thought to be a right foot contusion, actually sustained a broken foot on Friday, manager Andy Green said before Monday night's game against the Mets.
In the ninth inning of the Padres' game against the Giants, Aybar slashed a foul ball into his right foot, barely missing the protective guard he had on his ankle. Aybar finished the 12-inning contest and was placed on the DL on Saturday, leaving Rule 5 Draft pick Allen Cordoba as the only shortstop on the roster.
After Monday's trade that sent three pitchers to the Royals, the Padres called up shortstop Dusty Coleman from Triple-A El Paso. Coleman, who was in Monday's starting lineup, and Cordoba will split the position for now, Green said.
"I'd love to see somebody rise up and claim it," Green said. "In Dusty, it's going to be a defensive-first position. There's a lot of teams for a long time that survived with a guy at shortstop that caught and threw across and did it extraordinarily well. We think he's got those kind of attributes, and that's ultimately what we're going to be looking for him to be right now."
Aybar, 33, was an important part of the bottom of the Padres' lineup recently, batting .276/.336/.400 since June 4. Green said a mid-September return is the best-case scenario for Aybar.
"It stinks for us because Erick's been a tremendous competitor," Green said. "He's played incredibly well over the last month and a half. He's been a stabilizing presence for us in the infield with a bunch of young guys around him. That's a tough hit for us."
Hedges nearing return
Aybar's foul ball wasn't the only one to inflict damage to the Padres as of late.
On June 14, catcher Austin Hedges took a foul tip off the mask and was eventually placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Hedges is eligible to be activated on Tuesday, but Green said Hedges won't immediately return.
"My expectation is it's probably going to take a few days past this day he can be activated tomorrow," Green said. "I don't expect him to be activated tomorrow. I expect him to go through full baseball activity, make sure everything's right, make sure his head's responding well."
Worth noting
• In addition to Coleman, the Padres also called up right-handed pitcher Jose Ruiz from Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. The converted catcher had a 5.19 ERA, but being in close proximity to San Diego, as well as already being on the 40-man roster.
• With the bullpen openings created by the trade, right-hander Carter Capps could soon join the Padres. Capps has a 2.35 ERA with El Paso.
• Infielder Yangervis Solarte (left oblique strain) hit right-handed during batting practice on Monday. Green said he hopes for Solarte to hit again outdoors on Tuesday; the switch-hitter has already been taking left-handed swings outside.