MEXICO CITY -- Sung-Mun Song's debut but might be an international one.
The Padres promoted Song ahead of their 2026 Mexico City Series against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. All teams are permitted to carry a 27th player for international series, and the Padres chose to recall Song from Triple-A El Paso after an oblique injury had slowed him during Spring Training.
“It’s really exciting to be here,” said Song through interpreter Jun Yi. “It’s like a dream for me.”
It’s no certainty that Song will make his debut this weekend. The former Korea Baseball Organization star, who signed a four-year deal with the Padres in December, was not in the starting lineup for the opener.
Manager Craig Stammen noted that he plans to use Song as the team’s primary backup infielder, plus a potential lefty bat off the bench.
“He fits our roster well -- I think we thought that in the offseason when we signed him,” Stammen said. “Unfortunately he had the oblique injury in Spring Training that kind of set him back. But excited to have him here in Mexico City. We definitely feel like we can use him as that extra infielder on defense and a left-handed pinch-hitter that we don’t normally have.”
Added Song: “It might be two days for this Mexico series, but I will do whatever I need to do to contribute to the team. I was on a hot streak at Triple-A. So hopefully I bring that here.”
Indeed, Song has pounded out six hits across his past three games, after starting a bit slowly. In 20 games with El Paso, he compiled a .293/.369/.320 slash line across 84 plate appearances.
Song, 29, was one of San Diego's biggest acquisitions of the offseason. He signed a four-year deal in December. Shortly thereafter he sustained a right oblique strain, then reaggravated that oblique strain during Spring Training.
As a result, Song began the season on the injured list. He began a rehab assignment in March, and when that rehab assignment expired, he was optioned to Triple-A, with the Padres’ big league bench largely thriving.
Song wouldn’t be the first Padre to debut internationally. Memorably, Jackson Merrill was one of a small handful of Padres to debut during the Seoul Series in 2024. Meanwhile, in ’23, Tom Cosgrove made his big league debut and earned the win in the first MLB game ever played in Mexico City.
“It’s really cool for me to debut in Mexico,” Song said. “Then hopefully we go back to Petco and [I] play games at the big league field.”