San Diego Padres outfielder Tirso Ornelas has been recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Saturday. The 25-year-old figures to see fairly regular playing time with Jason Heyward (knee) heading to the injured list. Last season, Ornelas slashed .297/.367/.497 with 23 home runs and 89 RBI across 128 games in Triple-A. Ornelas was 18-for-64 at the plate with seven RBI in 17 games in the minors before being recalled. One paper, it appears Ornelas is ready to play at the big league level. He's not someone that needs to be immediately added in fantasy formats. This is more of a wait-and-see type of situation.
San Diego Padres outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run for Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday. The home run was his first of the season, but he's now hit safely in eight of 10 games so far and is slashing .282/.404/.359 with one home run, two stolen bases, and an 8:10 BB:K. So long as he keeps hitting, expect to see the 25-year-old in San Diego at some point this season, especially if the injuries continue to pile up for the Padres. The left-handed hitter belted 23 home runs last season at Triple-A and struck out at just a 16.1 percent rate, then had a good spring with the big league club before being optioned to Triple-A. With a decent amount of pop and good ability to make contact, the Mexican native could be an intriguing waiver wire addition if he gets the call at some point this season, but no need to stash him.
The San Diego Padres have optioned outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas to Triple-A El Paso. Ornelas was in contention to make the Opening Day roster. During camp, he performed quite well, tallying 15 hits across 23 contests with a .294/.368/.451 slash line. He tallied five doubles with a home run and a 6:6 BB:K. Last summer, Ornelas spent the entire campaign at the Triple-A level. Across 128 contests, the 25-year-old posted a strong .297/.367/.497 slash line with 24 doubles and 23 home runs. He swiped seven bags and held a 53:88 BB:K. This was a steady increase from the .285/.358/.425 line he held across 53 contests at Triple-A in 2023. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor Ornelas, as he could be on the verge of his MLB debut. With Ornelas opening the season at Triple-A, Connor Joe and Jason Heyward will split time in left field while Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. cover center and right field, respectively.
Tirso Ornelas Showing Well In Mexican Winter League
San Diego Padres outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas was added to the team's 40-man roster in July of last season, prompting speculation that there was a chance fans could see him inside Petco Park before the conclusion of 2024. That did not come to fruition, but Ornelas had a solid season at Triple-A nonetheless, slashing .297/.367/.497 with 23 home runs and a below-average strikeout rate of 16.1%. The 24-year-old has carried over that success into the Mexican Winter League while playing for the Charros de Jalisco. San Diego's 17th-ranked prospect is slashing .314/.419/.524 with five home runs and seven stolen bases in 30 games (124 PA). The Padres are likely set in the outfield at the moment with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and assuming they bring back free agent Jurickson Profar, but at the very least, Ornelas looks like a potential bench bat for 2025. If the Padres lose out on Profar, Ornelas could become fantasy-relevant, so it's a situation worth monitoring.
The San Diego Padres have demoted outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas back to Triple-A El Paso. It was as brief as a promotion as one could have for the Padres No. 25 per MLB Pipeline as the outfielder had his contract purchased by the big-league club on Sunday and then was sent back down hours later. Ornelas, 24, has been having a solid season for El Paso with a .316 batting average to go along with 12 homers and 57 RBI. With such a quick promotion, Ornelas was unable to get into a big-league game, but he is officially on the 40-man roster and could be an option down the road for San Diego. Even with a promotion, he can be left alone in all formats.
San Diego Padres outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas is a Mexican-born ballplayer who signed with the club in 2017. He has developed nicely in San Diego's farm system, reaching Triple-A for three games in 2022 before ultimately returning to Double-A this season. The left-handed hitter made impressive progress last season by dropping his strikeout rate to a solid 17.2 percent. That number has snuck back into the twenties this year, which could be why the Padres haven't called him back up to Triple-A quite yet. Elsewhere offensively, Ornelas hits for average and drives in runs but hasn't shown a whole lot of power. He's also average at best on the basepaths. Defensively, Ornelas has a mediocre glove and arm, likely limiting him to left field and accentuating the need for his bat to improve. Fortunately, Ornelas' bat did just that this past week. He showed promise in all parts of his offensive production, going 13-for-25 (.520) with four homers and 14 RBI. He also tallied five walks and six strikeouts along the way. If Ornelas can keep up this trend of putting the ball in play, drawing walks, and limiting strikeouts, he could be due for a promotion to Triple-A before the All-Star Break.
Tirso Ornelas
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Padres
