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Medica returns as Gyorko goes on paternity leave

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Padres placed Jedd Gyorko on the paternity leave list Monday, as his wife, Karley, gave birth to twin boys. The team recalled Tommy Medica from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move, with Gyorko eligible to miss up to three games.

It's just the latest in what's been a whirlwind for Medica the past few days, as he was just optioned to El Paso on Friday. Monday alone, it took Medica two flights to get from Sacramento to San Francisco, a drive that would have taken less than two hours.

"We got ahold of him on the plane, Sacramento to [Los Angeles], and they wouldn't let him off," manager Bud Black said.

So Medica flew to LAX before getting a new ticket and flying into San Francisco. Only he couldn't get his gear bag off the bottom of the plane and it was headed to El Paso with the rest of the Triple-A Chihuahuas.

Not to mention Medica missed a cross-country fight this weekend after the team demoted him while in Washington, D.C. Still, in his two games with El Paso, Medica was able to collect three RBIs and hit a home run. Medica, 26, batted .143/.172/.286 with 15 strikeouts and one walk in 14 games with San Diego to start the year.

"A lot of times when you come up as a young player and you're not playing regularly," Black said, "every at-bat is magnified from a player's point. We tried to tell him that's not the case."

In his first season since signing a six-year, $35.5 million contract extension, Gyorko is batting .144/.218/.211 with a homer, nine RBIs, nine walks and 30 strikeouts. Alexi Amarista started at second base in Gyorko's place Monday, batting sixth.

"I feel good," Amarista said in Spanish. "Second base is my natural position, so I want to take advantage of this opportunity."

Alex Espinoza is a contributor to MLB.com.
Read More: San Diego Padres, Alexi Amarista, Jedd Gyorko, Tommy Medica