The Padres have released right-hander Luis Patino, according to the MadFriars website. Patino was playing on a minor league contract signed back in January, and he’d posted a 2.63 ERA over 27 1/3 combined innings at the A-ball and Double-A levels this season, without any big league playing time.
Patino last pitched in the majors in 2023, as elbow problems during the spring of 2024 resulted in a Tommy John surgery at the very end of April. The Padres non-tendered Patino last winter and then re-signed him to the minors deal, which cleared some space off San Diego’s 40-man roster and also saved the team some money in the form of Patino’s projected $800K arbitration salary.
The right-hander made it back to game action almost exactly one year to the day after his TJ procedure, as his first rehab game with A-level Lake Elsinore took place on May 4. Besides a somewhat elevated walk rate, Patino was posting decent numbers during his time in the minors before injury problems surfaced again, as he has been on the Double-A injured list since late June due to elbow soreness.
This latest setback was apparently enough for the Padres to move on from Patino entirely, and it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old could be facing another surgery. Whatever the situation, Patino is now facing yet another crossroads in a pro career that began as a top-100 prospect during his first stint in San Diego’s farm system.
Patino has a 5.02 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, and 11.4% walk rate over 136 1/3 innings in the majors, starting 23 of his 45 career games. After making his MLB debut in the form of 17 1/3 innings with the Padres in 2020, Patino was part of the four-player package sent to the Rays in the Blake Snell trade that offseason. Patino spent parts of the next three seasons with the Rays before being traded to the White Sox in August 2023, and the Padres brought him back to their organization via waiver claim in December 2023.
This dude had an elite fastball, great slider, and an improving changeup when he was coming up (curveball was okay). I honestly thought he would have been at least a solid bullpen arm on the fastball/slider alone. Hopefully, he gets better and can contribute somewhere since he’s still young.
Yeah, he’s 25, just a kid. He’ll recover, let’s hope!
Agreed. Hopefully, going forward he’s kept as a bullpen arm by whatever team grabs him next. He’s kind of been yo-yo’ed between starter, bullpen, multi-inning role.
If his stuff comes back after this, I think he could be a potential late inning guy.
Really sad what injuries have done to his career his stuff was incredible in the minors
Man, I remember seeing this guy as electric and now he’s barely got a job
Happy trails Luis! All the best, and who knows what the future holds. Hope you turn the rest of your career into something special, Padre or not! 🤙🏽
Following Espinosa to Japan for a year?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hope he re-sign him to a MiLB deal again!!! Idk
I really thought the Padres rotation was going to be a great 1-2 punch of Gore and Patino. It’s unfortunate that his career has been derailed by injuries.
Best wishes to Luis. I’m hoping he can stay healthy and be a productive player, whether it’s in the majors or overseas.
And Gore has been nothing close to a 1 of that 1-2 punch
The Dodger’s starting pitching cut the Friars a reality check this weekend.