DENVER -- Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte returned home to Florida on Friday to deal with an undisclosed family issue. The club is hopeful he'll return, but it appears as though his absence could be an extended one.
Solarte batted .284/.339/.472 in 101 games this season and has arguably been San Diego's most productive hitter, when healthy. Padres manager Andy Green called Solarte's absence "open-ended."
"He's been dealing with some family stuff for the entire year," Green said. "What his family is going through, our thoughts and prayers are with him. He's going through stuff that's more important than baseball at this point. … He's had a heck of a year. With what he's been through at home, his ability to still perform on a baseball field has honestly been astounding to me. I'm hopeful he's back in short order, but at this point in time, I'm not expecting it."
Meanwhile, Travis Jankowski returned to the Padres on Friday after a family issue kept him out of the club's three-game series in San Francisco. He started in center field and batted leadoff.