Padres right-hander Jason Adam he has been targeting the Opening Day roster as he finishes rehabbing last year’s torn tendon in his quadriceps. The right-hander said three weeks ago that team doctors hadn’t said “no” to the possibility, and Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Adam could return to games soon. He was ahead of schedule in camp and is scheduled for one final practice game this week before the start of the Cactus League this weekend.
The 34-year-old Adam is a big part of the San Diego bullpen. Over the past four seasons, he has worked to a 2.07 ERA with 92 innings, 24 saves, a 29.2% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate over 256 2/3 innings between the Rays and Padres. If he was healthy, he would join Adrian Morejon again Jeremiah Estrada as a close one Mason MillerAdvanced setup options.
A healthy Adam also leads a crowded bullpen that could force the Friars to make tough decisions. Miller, Estrada, Morejon and Adam could be the keys to the bullpen spots. That is especially true of the righty David Morgan (2.64 ERA, 47 1/3 innings in 2025) again. The left Wandy Peralta again Yuki Matsui they enter multi-year contracts and cannot be elected.
That group covers seven of the Padres’ eight bullpen spots. The right hand Ron Marinaccio it’s out of the minor league options. The right hand Bradley Rodriguez he still has a lot of options left but has done very well in camp after briefly impressing last year. That’s right Matt Waldron he may start the season on the injured list, but he is out of the minor league roster and will need to be added to the big league roster or assigned. Bryan Hoeing is sidelined with an elbow problem right now but gives the Padres a third outfield candidate whenever he’s allowed to return.
Having more talented relievers than bullpen spots available is obviously a good problem to have, all things considered, and depending on the injury timetables for Adam and a few teammates, the Friars could kick any 40-man decisions down the road in the first half of the season. Sometimes, there will have to be an offer for one of the players who will not be taken (either due to a contract or a lack of minor league options.
That’s especially true if the Padres want to consider breaking camp with any undrafted invitees to the big league club. Veterans Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales again Triston McKenzie they are among that group, but the boss Craig Stammen he was talking about a different former major leaguer’s chances for a potentially bullish career: the right-hander Logan Gillaspie.
“He goes out there, wrestles his tail off, a lot of energy and enthusiasm, throws a lot of strikes and gets a lot of outs,” manager Craig Stammen told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell when asked about Gillaspie. He noted that Gillaspie could be used in a multi-inning role, providing length before games if needed.
Gillaspie, 28, has pitched four big league seasons, including 18 innings for San Diego throughout the 2024-25 campaign. He had pedestrian results overall, but Gillaspie is a familiar arm for most Padres coaches and is in the middle of a solid spring training (7 2/3 shutout frames, 8-to-2 K/BB average). Cassavell suggests that Gillaspie is considered a real possibility to make the club, especially if the Padres open the season with several veterans on the injured list.
