ATLANTA -- Petco Park will play host to a pair of prospect exhibition games this October, in which the top youngsters in the Padres' organization will take on the best prospects of the Texas Rangers.
The games are slated for Oct. 6 and 7, with the latter contest open to the public. It will be free for season-ticket holders or a $5 donation to the Padres Foundation for other fans.
Padres managing partner Peter Seidler made the announcement in an interview with the Mighty 1090 AM, saying the Padres would bring "A couple dozen of our top prospects" to the event, including shortstop Luis Urias, who just took home the Class A Advanced California League MVP Award, and right-hander Cal Quantrill, the club's No. 1 Draft pick in June. (Quantrill was promoted to Class A Fort Wayne on Tuesday.)
• Padres' Top 30 Prospects
"They're going to be out here for three or four days, working out, working with all the top coaches in our organization," Seidler told the Mighty 1090's "Scott and BR" program. "As young kids, they're going to get a sense for Petco Park, say, 'Hey, this is where we want to be.' Then we're going to put them in a game in front of our fans."
The Padres have taken part in similar events in the past, but 2016 marks the first time they will make it open to the public.
Essentially, the prospects who take part in instructional ball this fall will ship off to San Diego for a few days at the end of MLB's season. After getting a taste of life at the big league park, they'll play the two exhibitions before heading back to the team's complex in Peoria, Ariz.
News and notes
• Injured right-hander Tyson Ross was slated to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of action since Opening Day. Manager Andy Green said the club would evaluate his status afterward in determining when a second rehab outing would take place.
"After the 'pen today we'll look at where he is and then schedule his next start and go from there," Green said before Tuesday's game. "It's always going to be at Tyson's pace right now. There's no reason to rush through the end of this."
Ross gave up four runs and lasted just two-thirds of an inning in his first rehab appearance for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore on Thursday.
• Christian Friedrich will make at least one more start this season, after all. The left-hander will take the ball Sunday in Los Angeles. Friedrich has already more than doubled his innings workload from last year when he was a reliever with Colorado.
• Injured utility infielders Alexi Amarista and Jemile Weeks could return to the Padres when rosters expand to 40 players later this week. It's likely the Padres would wait until Sept. 2, when they open a three-game series against the Dodgers.
As for right fielder Jabari Blash, who is nursing a sprained right middle finger, the recovery is taking a bit longer. Over the weekend, the Padres made the decision to shut him down from swinging for a week.
"You kind of wait your whole life for this opportunity," Green said. "But if you can't perform and you can't swing the bat and you can't compete up here, it does nobody any good to go out there and just soldier on and punch out every single at-bat. He made the wise choice to step back a little bit."
• Right-hander Brandon Morrow was reinstated from the paternity list on Monday, and he rejoined the team Tuesday in Atlanta. Lefty Buddy Baumann was optioned to Triple-A El Paso as the corresponding move.