The Padres selected Ornelas' contract and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.
Ornelas has spent the entire 2024 season at El Paso, slashing .316/.390/.515 with 12 home runs and five stolen bases across 310 plate appearances. Though he'll remain with El Paso coming out of the All-Star break, the 24-year-old outfielder is now a part of the Padres' 40-man roster. The transaction should improve his chances of receiving his first big-league call-up at some point later this season.
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Padres' Tirso Ornelas: Promoted to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Padres promoted Ornelas to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Ornelas briefly appeared in Triple-A last season, going 3-for-14 with two RBI and two runs scored across three games. After slashing .273/.374/.449 with nine homers and 46 RBI over 289 plate appearances with Double-A San Antonio, he will get another opportunity in El Paso. Unless he catches fire in Triple-A, the 23-year-old outfielder will likely finish the season in the minors.
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Padres' Tirso Ornelas: Riding high in Cal League
Rotowire
Ornelas is hitting .321/.431/.509 with one home run, one steal and a 16:11 K:BB in 65 plate appearances with High-A Lake Elsinore.
Ornelas is the youngest hitter at High-A, but he is handling the level just fine through 14 games. His 2018 production was limited due to bad luck on balls in play and a second-half wrist injury, but he still managed to post a 109 wRC+. Ornelas may not be much of a threat on the bases by the time he reaches the majors, but he could be a valuable contributor in the other four roto categories, offering upside in OBP, AVG and points leagues.
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Padres' Tirso Ornelas: Starting season at High-A
Rotowire
Ornelas will begin the 2019 season at High-A Lake Elsinore, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Ornelas saw his 2018 season end in late July due to a wrist injury, but his .252/.341/.392 batting line over 355 plate appearances at Low-A Fort Wayne was apparently enough to earn him a move up on the minor-league ladder. The 19-year-old outfielder will again be one of the younger hitters at his level, so even league-average production with Lake Elsinore in 2019 would likely be enough for Ornelas to maintain his status as one of the Padres' better position prospects.
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Padres' Tirso Ornelas: Out with wrist injury
Rotowire
Ornelas is on the 7-day disabled list with Low-A Fort Wayne with a wrist injury, Elizabeth Wyman of The Journal Gazette reports.
The 18-year-old outfielder has been on the shelf since July 20, but it's unclear exactly how serious the injury is. His numbers this season in the Midwest League (.252/.341/.392, eight home runs, five steals in 355 plate appearances) may not look impressive on the surface, but Ornelas turned 18 in March and has still been eight percent better (108 wRC+) than the league's average hitter. He has plus raw power, a good handle of the strike zone (68:40 K:BB) and a true all-fields approach. As he matures, that power should show up more in games, and he has quite a bit more batting average upside than he has shown in 2018.
