The Padres optioned Campusano to Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday.
Just three days after being recalled from Triple-A, Campusano will return to the minors to make room for the return of Jackson Merrill (hamstring) from the injured list. Campusano went 0-for-6 during his brief stint with the Padres, though he managed to reach base four times via walks. He'd likely return to the majors if Elias Diaz or Martin Maldonado were to miss any amount of time.
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Padres' Luis Campusano: Summoned to majors
Rotowire
The Padres recalled Campusano from Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.
Campusano has performed well with El Paso this season, slashing .322/.445/.598 with six home runs, 17 RBI and 21 runs over 110 plate appearances. He struggled in the majors last year, posting a .642 OPS over 299 plate appearances, but was much better in 2023, when he slashed .319/.356/.491 with seven long balls in 49 games. Campusano may not get much playing time behind the plate with the Padres given his defensive liabilities and since the team already has two other catchers -- veterans Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado -- but he may also get an occasional turn at DH. To make room for Campusano on the roster, San Diego optioned Connor Joe to El Paso.
The Padres optioned Campusano to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.
Elias Diaz will be the Padres' primary catcher, and non-roster invitee Martin Maldonado is in line to serve as his backup. Campusano will head to El Paso, where he will receive regular playing time as he awaits another opportunity in the majors.
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Padres' Luis Campusano: Makes impression with homer Sunday
Rotowire
Campusano hit a three-run home run in his only at-bat during Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Diamondbacks.
Campusano didn't start the game, but he entered as a defensive replacement at catcher in the seventh inning. The 26-year-old then made the most of his lone plate appearance, smashing a three-run homer to left field in the eighth frame. It was a much-needed big hit for Campusano, who entered Sunday having gone just 3-for-21 this spring. He's competing with Elias Diaz to be San Diego's primary catcher to open the campaign, and Diaz has also struggled at the dish in Cactus League play with a 3-for-22 line. With that in mind, Campusano could turn the competition in his favor if he's able to build upon Sunday's performance during what's left of spring training.
Campusano may be trailing Elias Diaz in the battle to be San Diego's No. 1 catcher, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Following the departure of Kyle Higashioka to Texas in the offseason, San Diego's primary catcher role for 2025 appeared to be wide open. That's still the case, as none of the Padres' backstops has hit well this spring. Campusano has gone just 2-for-16 so far, while Diaz is 3-for-18. Meanwhile, San Diego's other backstop options, Brett Sullivan (2-for-15) and Martin Maldonado (0-for-13), have been equally unproductive. Cassavell speculates that Diaz's reputation as a strong defender could have him leading the race to start Opening Day, though the Padres don't appear to have made a decision in that regard to this point. Campusano finished last season at Triple-A and has one minor-league option remaining, so it's not certain that he'll even break camp with the big club.
Padres' Luis Campusano: Gets $1 million from San Diego
Rotowire
The Padres and Campusano avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
It was Campusano's first year of arbitration eligibility. The 26-year-old entered last season as the Padres' top catcher, but he was eventually passed on the depth chart by Kyle Higashioka and finished with just a .227/.281/.361 slash line while spending some time in the minors. Higashioka is now with the Rangers and Campusano is currently at the top of the catching hierarchy again in San Diego, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the club brought someone in to at least share the job.
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