Cruz was designated for assignment by the Padres on Tuesday.
Cruz signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Padres over the winter and was getting fairly regular starts in the DH role, but he has suddenly been dropped from the 40-man roster after ultimately slashing just .245/.283/.399 with five homers and 23 RBI across 49 games. Rougned Odor looks poised for an uptick in playing time as part of the fallout from this move. He is at third base Tuesday with Manny Machado taking a turn as the DH.