The Padres are carrying three similar types of hitters in the right-handed Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos and Ty France. They have no true backup middle infielder. While it’s made for some interesting choices early in the season — Fernando Tatis Jr. at second base, for instance — the Padres are comfortable with the arrangement for now.

Which is one reason why the left-handed-hitting Sung-Mun Song was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned to Triple-A El Paso. The 29-year-old infielder was already with the Chihuahuas, but a 20-day rehab assignment has come to an end without Song forcing his way into the Padres’ immediate plans.

“We feel like he’s fully healthy,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “ … We like the way our roster is currently constructed, with the guys that are all playing well (and) we’re able to use the roster the way we want to. It also gives him a chance to get some more seasoning down in Triple-A and get him ready to come up here to the big leagues.”

Song signed a four-year, $15 million deal in December. He was expected to bounce between second and third and perhaps shortstop and the outfield, but he aggravated an oblique strain in spring training. Song participated in opening day ceremonies at Petco Park and then joined El Paso for what was expected to be a rehab assignment akin to almost a full spring training.

Song began Thursday hitting .276/.364/.310 with two doubles, 10 RBIs, eight walks and 17 strikeouts in 16 games with the Chihuahuas.

Meantime, Andujar and France both began Thursday with an OPS over .780. Castellanos (.495 OPS) has started slow, but the Padres are intent on giving him plenty of leash to see if a one-time dangerous hitter can find a way to be productive off the bench. The Philadelphia Phillies are paying Castellanos $20 million this season, minus the league minimum being paid by the Padres.

Staying ready

Alek Jacob began the week in El Paso, flying Monday to Round Rock, Texas, for the week’s road series. He and knuckleballer Matt Waldron got the call to San Diego upon landing in Austin and immediately boarded a direct flight to San Diego. Two days later, Jacob was called into a 6-2 game in the eighth inning for what was seemingly mop-up duty.

Then the Padres rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth on Wednesday, handing Jacob his second career victory after he did his part with two shutout frames.

“In the moment, it didn’t feel like those two innings mattered quite as much as they ended up mattering,” Jacob said a day later. “It was pretty special. But it’s just being ready no matter what.”

Recalled from Triple-A El Paso, where he had opened the season with 7⅓ scoreless innings, Jacob struck out three, walked a batter, hit one and allowed one hit. The appearance followed two innings of two-run ball from Ron Marinaccio and a scoreless frame from Wandy Peralta, none of it lost in the grand scheme of things for a former-reliever-turned-manager.

“That’s exactly why we talk about how good our bullpen is, because we feel like anybody that we throw in there can keep the game where it’s at, and especially in these games where we’re down just a little bit, keeps the game where it’s at and gives us a chance to come back,” Stammen said. “ … It just speaks to the depth that we have in our bullpen.”

Just in case

Rodolfo Duran hit his third homer of the season for Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, was pulled from the Chihuahuas’ lineup after Freddy Fermin took a foul ball off his mask and boarded a flight on Thursday morning to San Diego.

Fermin continued to pass concussion protocol tests and was available off the bench, but the trip was worth it for the 28-year-old Duran. It was his first call-up to the majors, even if only as a taxi-squad addition.

“It’s nice to be around the guys, get to know the environment and see how things go here,” Duran said.

Originally signed by the Phillies in 2015, Duran signed a minor league deal with the Padres before the 2025 season. He paired 16 homers with an .847 OPS at Triple-A El Paso to earn a non-roster invitation to big-league camp this spring.