Mejia returns with chance to earn regular role

SAN DIEGO -- "Aggressive" doesn't even begin to describe Francisco Mejía's approach at the plate. His career 57 percent swing rate is one of the highest in baseball. His 48 percent swing rate on pitches outside the strike zone is second among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances since his arrival last season.

In some ways, the Padres are fine with that aggressive approach. Sure, Mejia has struggled in his brief time in the Majors. But he's a 23-year-old catcher, and growing pains were always part of the equation.

That's not to say the San Diego coaching staff won't work with Mejia to hone his plate discipline. They just aren't going to ask him to change as a hitter.

"He's got the ability to hit almost any pitch thrown at any point in time," said Padres manager Andy Green. "With Franky, we've gotten to the point where we really want him to be himself. Swing the bat, be aggressive, find the pitch you want to hit and put a good swing on it.

"We'll carry the belief that a guy who has hit his entire life is going to hit here."

Throughout his Minors career, Mejia's bat qualifies as elite, by catchers' standards. He's best known for a 50-game hitting streak in Class A Advanced three seasons ago. He's hitting .365/.411/.746 for Triple-A El Paso this year.

Mejia was recalled on Monday, and he was in the starting lineup Tuesday night, backstopping the debut of left-hander Logan Allen against the Brewers. Mejia made an immediate impact, hitting a two-run homer in the Padres' 4-1 win.

Before Tuesday, Mejia hadn't played a game for the Padres since mid-May, when he was placed on the injured list with a left knee sprain. When he returned to full health in early June, he was optioned.

Mejia now has a very real chance to earn a more regular role with the Padres. Starting catcher Austin Hedges is a defensive wiz, but his bat has been ice cold this season. Hedges is hitting .185 with a .567 OPS.

Given Hedges' defensive attributes, Mejia's best hope for playing time is probably for a timeshare behind the plate. But if he hits, that's exactly what he'll get.

"It'll be dictated by performance, but he's going to get opportunity," Green said. "Franky didn't grab hold of anything last time. He'll have an opportunity to grab hold of playing time."

Noteworthy

• The Padres agreed to terms with Hudson Head on a record-setting signing bonus for a third-round pick. Head inked a $3 million deal, despite a pick value of $721,900, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis.

An athletic high school outfielder from Texas, Head was on hand at Petco Park on Tuesday. He took batting practice and briefly met with Manny Machado.

"I'm very excited," Head said. "It's been a dream come true. ... It's kind of hitting me right now, but I'm just trying to take it in and have fun."

• The Padres designated right-hander Kazuhisa Makita for assignment on Tuesday to clear space on the roster for Allen. Makita was promoted Monday to add cover to the bullpen. The Padres didn't need it, as Joey Lucchesi worked seven scoreless frames.