Padres' roster shakeup addresses number of concerns

TORONTO -- The struggling Padres shook up their roster on Tuesday afternoon, making a flurry of moves prior to their series opener against the Blue Jays.

Perhaps most notably, catcher Luis Campusano has returned after missing three months due to a left thumb injury that required surgery. But the Padres didn’t stop there. They promoted outfielder Taylor Kohlwey, who will be making his big league debut, and first baseman Alfonso Rivas from Triple-A El Paso.

To clear space, catcher Austin Nola and utility man Brandon Dixon were optioned to El Paso, while Rougned Odor was designated for assignment.

Here are some quick takeaways on the Padres’ busy day:

1. The Padres needed a shakeup
Having lost three of four out of the break, the Padres’ season was teetering. They’re six games below .500 and eight games out of a playoff spot with the Trade Deadline fast approaching. If there were ever a time to shake things up and see what works … this was it.

As such, the Odor move may have come as a surprise, but certainly not a shock. The veteran infielder was immensely clutch for the Padres in May (four homers and 15 RBIs). But he was hitting just .189/.268/.243 over the past month.

“Rougie was really well liked here, got off to a good start,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Here recently, maybe [he was] not as good. But I think it’s maybe more: When the team’s not playing well, you try to make some adjustments.”

Enter Kohlwey and Rivas, a pair of left-handed hitters who had little else to prove in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The Padres figured they might as well see what they have to offer.

2. Campusano’s workload
The Padres haven’t loved Gary Sánchez’s heavy workload behind the plate -- and perhaps that workload has led to his recent struggles after a fast start.

Campusano has a chance to earn a larger share of the playing time than what Nola was afforded. The Padres envisioned big things for Campusano in his age-24 season, touting the strides he’d made defensively and his impact at the plate. Then he went down with injury two weeks into the season.

“I thought it was coming together,” Campusano said. “It’s just comfort, I was comfortable. I still feel that way, nothing’s really changed. It’s just a little setback, but I’m here now, so I’m ready to go.”

Melvin noted that Campusano is expected to start on Wednesday in Toronto, but he wouldn’t commit to a firm plan behind the plate, saying only, “We’ll make the best lineup we can for that particular day.”

As for Nola, his 2023 season has been disappointing, but the Padres were pleased he had an option year remaining, so he remains in their system.

“Go down there and get some at-bats, because he’s a better player than he’s shown here,” Melvin said. “Recently obviously, he hasn’t played a ton. The workload has been pretty extreme for Gary, so Campy is going to get a share of games.”

3. Organizational stability
Recently, the Padres have promoted Matthew Batten, Alek Jacob, Ryan Weathers (since optioned) and now Kohlwey. On a roster that didn’t previously feature many homegrown players, it’s a stark shift.

And perhaps a purposeful one.

“There’s that pride factor with guys that come up in your system and have been there a while,” Melvin said. “There needs to be an avenue to the big leagues. … I don’t know [if] that was the reason for it. But I think that more guys from our system getting here is probably a good thing for the organization.”

As for Kohlwey, he was at the movies Monday night, 30 minutes into the latest "Mission: Impossible" film. That’s when he got a text from Triple-A manager Phillip Wellman telling him he needed to leave the theater. Shortly thereafter, Wellman delivered the news, and Kohlwey was on his way to Toronto.

“I’m just going to try to soak it all in, do my best and just get better every day,” Kohlwey said. “Try to help in whatever way I can.”

The Padres expect to use Kohlwey in a number of capacities as a versatile outfielder, a solid runner and a lefty-hitting pinch-hit weapon.

And when he’s done all that, maybe he can catch the rest of "Mission: Impossible."