PHILADELPHIA -- On Friday night, when Manuel Margot's left wrist bent backward as he dove for a fly ball in the gap, the Padres chose to be optimistic. It was an ugly injury, but despite the nature of the play, Margot said he felt better afterward.
Turns out, the club's optimism was warranted: X-rays were negative. The Padres center fielder sustained a left-wrist sprain but won't need a stint on the disabled list. He could return to action as soon as Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.
"He's feeling pretty good today," said Padres skipper Andy Green. "He's definitely feeling better than we anticipated after the initial injury."
It's still possible the Padres exercise caution and leave Margot on the bench for another day or two. That depends on how he feels after taking swings in the batting cage, Green said.
But the short-term nature of the injury is undoubtedly a positive. Margot had turned a corner lately. His average sat at .204 entering June. He's raised it by 41 points since then, hitting .292/.397/.431 in the remaining span.
Spangenberg recalled
The Padres recalled infielder Cory Spangenberg ahead of Sunday's doubleheader in Philadelphia, a move designed to give them some positional flexibility. Spangenberg, who is hitting .232/.264/.378 this season, can play second, third and left field. That makes him a particularly useful piece as the Padres look to give most of their position players one game off on Sunday.
Spangenberg knocked a pinch-hit single and scored a run in Game 1 of the twin bill, which the Padres won, 10-2.

To clear space for Spangenberg, No. 3 catcher Raffy Lopez was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. He's going to face a challenge for playing time there. Newly acquired catching prospectFrancisco Mejia -- who arrived Thursday in the Brad Hand deal -- is likely to get the bulk of the reps.
In a separate roster move, the Padres are expected to recall righty reliever Kazuhisa Makita ahead of the nightcap. Major League Baseball permits a 26th man for Game 2 of doubleheaders.
Rotation unaffected by rainout
The schedule falls kindly for the Padres around Saturday's rainout. Their off-day Thursday means they can use all five of their starters over the next four days without needing to call up a sixth man.
"If you're going to have a doubleheader, you'd like to have an off-day within the next four days so it doesn't mess things up," Green said. "No anticipation for a rotation change, no need for another starter. It falls perfectly for us."
Eric Lauer will get the ball Monday against the Mets. Fellow rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi starts Tuesday, but first he'll need to be recalled from Triple-A El Paso, where he was optioned before the All-Star break. The Padres wanted to make sure Lucchesi continued to pitch during the break after he missed a month with a right hip strain.