BALTIMORE – The Padres have placed infielder/designated hitter Miguel Andujar on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and selected the contract of outfielder Nick Solak from Triple-A El Paso.
Andujar’s move is retroactive to Thursday. Manager Craig Stammen said they removed Andujar from a game last week because of the hamstring, and did not feel it was fair to make him push his recovery if they needed him to take an extra base in a game.
“He's getting better, but I felt like he wasn't getting to the point where we could throw him out there and expect him to score from second on a single, go first to third, things like that,” Stammen said. “We didn't really want it to happen in a game where it’s on the line and he's coming around third and he feels like he has to push it. So, better to give him the 10 days and get him back fully healthy and bring Solak up here and see what he's got.”
Solak provides versatility and depth, but maybe more importantly, he has been raking with El Paso, slashing .333/.412/.512 with nine homers and 40 RBIs for the Chihuahuas. Hitting is what the Padres need as they look to shake off a 4-13 skid.
“He's been swinging it great,” Stammen said. “He's kind of a lefty crusher, so he will get some opportunities against left-handed pitching and see where he fits on defense on the ballclub.”
Solak is batting .379 with a 1.069 OPS against left-handed pitching, recording five extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and only seven strikeouts in 58 at-bats. His longest stay in the Majors was 127 games with the Rangers in 2021.
And even at 31 years of age and with six years of big league experience, the call to the Majors is always a big deal. Solak has learned to play and hone his skill level at several infield and outfield spots depending on what the team needs with the Rangers, Braves, Tigers, Pirates and Padres.
“I'm older, for one thing,” Solak said. “Older, more mature, a lot more experiences. I've experienced the ups and downs of the game. I am a little more battle tested and [am] able to handle different things that are thrown my way. Those are all good experiences that have helped me mature as a player and a person and to get me where I am today.”