San Diego Padres Activate Catcher Josh Bard, Recall LHP Justin Hampson from Triple-A Portland Beavers

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - San Diego, CA – The San Diego Padres today reinstated catcher Josh Bard from the 15-day disabled list and recalled left-handed pitcher Justin Hampson from Triple-A Portland.  The club also optioned catcher Luke Carlin and left-handed pitcher Joe Thatcher to Portland.  Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcements.

 

Bard has been on the disabled list since May 22 with a left ankle sprain.  He sustained the injury in San Diego’s game against the Cardinals on May 21.  The 30-year-old catcher has played in nine rehabilitation games between Single-A Lake Elsinore and Triple-A Portland, batting a combined .125 (3-for-24) with a home run.  He caught in six of the nine rehab appearances.  Bard has started 35 games behind the plate for San Diego this season, batting .200 (26-for-130) with eight doubles, seven RBI, nine runs scored and 14 walks in 38 games overall.  In 412 Major League games over parts of seven seasons with Cleveland (2002-05), Boston (2006) and San Diego (2006-08), Bard is hitting .268 (338-for-1,263) with 79 doubles, three triples, 27 home runs, 159 RBI and 126 runs scored.

 

Hampson, 28, went 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA (7 ER/8.2 IP) in 10 relief appearances with the Padres this season before he was optioned to Portland on June 27.  In 10 relief outings with the Beavers, he has gone 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA (4 ER/10.1 IP), 16 strikeouts and three walks.  Hampson began the season on the disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis and was reinstated on June 2.  Claimed off waivers by San Diego from Colorado on October 11, 2006, Hampson is 3-4 with a 4.01 ERA (33 ER/74.0 IP), 51 strikeouts and 23 walks over 54 career Major League appearances (one start) with the Rockies (2006) and Padres (2007-08).

 

The 27-year-old Carlin made his Major League debut with the Padres on May 10 and has been behind the plate in 30 games including 23 starts.  At the plate, he has gone 11-for-80 (.138) with three doubles, one triple, two

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RBI and 10 runs scored.  In 11 games with Triple-A Portland to begin the season, Carlin hit .387 (12-for-31) with two doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs scored and 15 walks.  He was behind the plate in each of those 11 contests, throwing out four of eight would-be base stealers. 

 

Thatcher, 26, is 0-4 with an 8.42 ERA (24 ER/25.2 IP) in 25 relief appearances over four stints with San Diego in 2008.  In 19 relief appearances with Portland this year he has gone 4-0 with three saves and a 1.21 ERA (3 ER/22.1 IP).  Thatcher made his Major League debut with the Padres in 2007 and is 2-6 with a 5.21 ERA (27 ER/46.2 IP), 19 walks and 33 strikeouts in 47 career relief outings.

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