San Diego continues to struggle with injury problems. The Padres placed OF-L Mark Kotsay on the disabled list last week and called up OF-R Jason Bay to take his roster spot. Kotsay's back began troubling him in late April, and though he attempted to play through it with the help of medication, San Diego felt he needed rest if the condition was to improve. After going on the DL, Kotsay received a cortisone injection, which has reportedly left him feeling much better. However, given their place in the standings the Padres aren't inclined to rush anyone back from the disabled list. Kotsay will take his rehab slowly and possible rejoin the team sometime in the second week of June.

We discussed Bay both when the Mets acquired him from Montreal and when they dealt him to San Diego last year. The 24-year-old's performance at AAA this year should have solidly moved him from the category of potential fourth outfielder to potential starting outfielder. At the time of his promotion, Bay was hitting .300 with a .409 OBP and .533 SLG on 45 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, and 10 HR with a 26:28 BB:K and 10/11 SB% in 150 AB at AAA Portland in the Pacific Coast League.

Bay made his major league debut as the starting centerfielder in the Padres' May 24th game in Arizona. Facing RHP Brandon Webb in his first major league at-bat, he grounded out to third base to end the second inning. Bay struck out swinging in the fifth and grounded out to third again in the sixth. However, he led off the ninth with a home run off RHP Matt Mantei for his first major league hit, though San Diego wasn't able to rally to beat the Diamondbacks.

Unfortunately, on Bay's third day in the majors, RHP Elmer Dessens hit Bay with a pitch, fracturing the ulnar styloid bone in his right wrist. The Padres placed Bay on the disabled list on Monday and called up UT-L Jermaine Clark to fill his roster space. Bay's wrist will be immobilized while the team waits for the fracture to heal, and he'll then need to begin a rehab program. He's estimated to miss 4-6 weeks, but it will likely be longer than that before he's fully recovered.

While Bay was starting in center in place of Kotsay, Clark worked off the bench for the four days he was in the majors. Yesterday, San Diego demoted him in order to clear a roster spot for Brian Tollberg's return from the disabled list. Clark should be back with the Padres in September, if injuries don't bring him back before then. Tollberg underwent his Tommy John surgery on June 5th of 2002, so he's returned extremely quickly. He's assumed a spot in the Padres rotation, but I expect him to spend at least a little time on the DL with a sore elbow at some point before the end of the season. Even if he is able to stay of the disabled list, we shouldn't expect him to return to his pre-injury form until 2004.

The Padres claimed OF-S Gary Matthews, Jr. off waivers from Baltimore on May 23rd, and he is now covering center for the San Diego. I can't believe the Orioles thought they could successfully pass Matthews through waivers. While he's struggled this year, the 28-year-old demonstrated his potential last season. Baltimore should have been able to acquire at least a low upside prospect in trade. Matthews' problem over the first two months of the season was a drop in his walk rate. If he re-establishes his patience with the Padres, he should rebound to his 2002 form and give them a solid substitute in center while Kotsay is out and a strong fourth outfielder once he returns.

San Diego designated Rule 5 pick OF-S Shane Victorino for assignment to make room for Matthews on both the 25 and 40-man rosters and Los Angeles quickly reclaimed him. I chastised the Padres prior to the season when they were contemplating not carrying Victorino on the roster when they broke camp. He possesses substantial upside, which in their noncompetitive position San Diego should have happily sacrificed the production of one roster spot to retain.

C-R Gary Bennett returned from the disabled list on May 23rd. The Padres believe that Bennett's skills behind the plate significantly improve their pitchers' performances, so they will try to keep him in the lineup as much as possible. However, they may want to give him a few extra rest days in an effort to avoid over-taxing his recently injured knee. To open a roster space for Bennett, the Padres demoted C-R Mike Rivera, co C-R Miguel Ojeda will serve as Bennett's back-up. As C-R Wiki Gonzalez was removed from the 40-man and Rivera was not, Rivera likely will receive the call if either major league catcher is injured.

San Diego snatched RHP Scott Linebrink off waivers from Houston on Thursday, sending LHP Randy Keisler outright to AAA in order to clear room for Linebrink on the 25 and 40-man rosters. Tollberg has assumed Keisler's rotation spot, while Linebrink is expected to work out of the pen. The 26-year-old Linebrink still appears to possess the potential to be a solid reliever, though he continues to struggle with his control and his strikeout rate has now fallen to an unacceptable level. When the Padres' relievers begin trickling back from the DL, Linebrink probably will head to AAA.

Regrettably, Trevor Hoffman apparently won't be one of those relievers rejoining the team this season. In light of their current place in the standings, San Diego has announced they see no need to bring Hoffman back this year, so they will slow down his rehab program. Consequently, while some recent reports indicated he could be back in July, Hoffman likely won't pitch for the Padres in 2003.