DENVER -- Right-hander Kirby Yates threw one pitch in Saturday's game against the Astros and exited with an ailing right ankle. On Monday, the Padres placed him on the 10-day disabled list and called up right-hander Buddy Baumann from Triple-A El Paso.
"We decided to go ahead and put Kirby on the DL with his ankle and let him try to recover quickly," manager Andy Green said before Monday's series opener with the Rockies. "He was looking at three, four, maybe five days before he felt comfortable going back out there again. And coming here to Colorado, we didn't want to run into a short bullpen."
Yates had become the Padres' primary setup man, and he was off to an excellent start to the 2018 campaign. He hasn't allowed a run in five appearances, striking out five over 3 2/3 innings. Yates sustained the ankle injury during Spring Training, but it worsened prior to Saturday's game.
"I just tweaked it today, and it's kind of fresh, and it just didn't feel good," Yates said Saturday. "It's been pretty good and manageable from Spring Training until now."
Yates threw one pitch to Alex Bregman in the top of the ninth inning -- an 89-mph fastball for a right-hander who lives in the mid-90s. Green sprung quickly from the top step of the dugout, and Yates was removed without much discussion.
"It's my push-off foot, so just trying to load up and get after it is a little different," Yates said.
A waiver claim from the Angels last season, Yates posted a 3.72 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings last year. It's not the first time he's felt the effects of a bum ankle. But this time, it was serious enough to warrant his removal.
"It's just a bad ankle," Yates said. "I've sprained it a lot in my life. It's not completely healed, and it's something I'm going to have to deal with."
Bauman had six stints with the Padres in 2016 and '17, posting a 3-1 record and a 2.96 ERA in 34 appearances out of the 'pen, walking 11 and striking out 31 over 27 1/3 innings.
"Buddy threw one pitch yesterday," Green said. "When I called down to say, 'Don't pitch Buddy,' he was already in the game, so we got him out after one pitch and he's ready to go. He's a guy that can provide some length today."
Jordan Lyles had been the long man out of the 'pen, but he's been pitching in more leveraged situations, Green noted, and should step into the late-inning void left by Yates.
Other injury updates
William Myers is progressing in his recovery from the right arm nerve irritation that put him on the DL on Wednesday, but he's likely to need more than the minimum 10 days before coming back.
"Wil was out tracking [pitches] in the bullpen today," Green said. "Hopefully he swings a bat in the next few days. Since he hasn't swung at this point in time, I don't expect him to come right off after 10 days. He's going to have to swing a bat for a few days.
"The longer it gets, the more likely a rehab assignment becomes as well. We're hoping he's a couple days away from swinging. He definitely says he's feeling better day after day, it's just not coming quite as quick as we'd like it to."
• Matt Strahm threw Sunday and went back to San Diego when the team left Houston as he continues is progression following July knee surgery.
• Dinelson Lamet is continuing to rehab his elbow issue, but he is not close to throwing off a mound yet.
"I don't think it's within a week or anything," Green said. "It's going to be a steady progression from throwing, stretching out the arm, and seeing where he's at."