Padres notes: Jase Bowen makes MLB debut; Ramón Laureano returns to San Diego; Jhony Brito knocking

PHILADELPHIA - Jase Bowen earned his way to the major leagues by continuing to hit in Triple-A the way he had in spring training.

He also showed the Padres he could run the bases adeptly and play three spots in the outfield.

And seven years after he was drafted, he finally got the call to make his major league debut, because the Padres need him.

"He definitely had a great spring training for us - showed off his athleticism, his speed, his power," Padres manager Craig Stammen said Tuesday. "… He can bring some speed, some youth, some energy, some athleticism. Not that we don’t have a lot of that, but when you’ve got that youthful exuberance, you can ignite a team a little bit."

Nothing else has worked very well for very long.

Bowen started in left field against the Phillies on Tuesday and figures to get a chance to establish himself there while Ramón Laureano is on the injured list.

Laureano, who has hit .147/.248/.266 over his past 34 games after beginning the season with a .288/.346/534 line through his first 19 games, went on the IL with right hip inflammation to make room for Bowen on the active roster.

"His hip has been bothering him for a little while, and he finally admitted that it’s affecting some of the things that he’s doing on the field," Stammen said. "So we felt like it was smart to take care of it right now, get him on the IL and get him back, hopefully, in relatively short time."

Laureano returned to San Diego to undergo tests and begin his rehab.

Stammen said the Padres had not determined how much Bowen will play, but he wasn't called up to sit often. He can play all three outfield positions, meaning they can utilize him in right when Fernando Tatis Jr. moves in to play second base and to perhaps give center fielder Jackson Merrill a day off.

Bowen did not make the Padres' opening-day roster essentially because he shares a lot of the same traits as fellow outfielder Bryce Johnson, and the Padres' decision makers felt Johnson's experience as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement at the highest level was more valuable.

But 25-year-old Bowen's ceiling is seen as being higher, in large part because he can hit for power.

The right-handed hitter had a .292 average and .962 OPS in Triple-A. He has 13 home runs, 11 doubles and five triples in 195 at-bats.

The Padres can use anything that might energize an offense that has lacked vitality, ranking last in the major leagues with a .196 average and .609 OPS over the 30 games leading up to Tuesday.

Said Bowen: "Going to do my best to show up and compete and help the team win in any way I can."

Long wait, whirlwind

Bowen arrived in Philadelphia on Monday after receiving the call from Triple-A manager Pete Zamora telling him he was headed to the big leagues.

He was already planning on going to the airport that morning to drop off his wife for a flight home to Pennsylvania in advance of her brother's wedding later this week.

That made it convenient for her to be at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, along with a number of the couple's relatives.

Bowen, who is from Ohio, was drafted in 2019 by the Pirates, who paid him well above his draft slot to get him to sign rather than play wide receiver at Michigan State.

He advanced to Triple-A for the first time in 2025 and then signed with the Padres as a minor-league free agent.

"Every year, you're hoping that that happens," Bowen said. "When it came true, it was just a whirlwind of emotion. I’m so excited to get going. Time is going so slow. I'm ready to get out there."

Kicking the can

To make room for Bowen on the 40-man roster, the Padres moved pitcher Nick Pivetta to the 60-day IL.

That might be a temporary fix if the Padres cannot get Jhony Brito's rehab assignment extended.

The Padres have been highly encouraged by Brito's rehab starts while working back from an April 2025 surgery to place an internal brace on the UCL of his right (throwing) elbow and repair a flexor tendon tear.

But he has topped out at 68 pitches and took just 52 pitches to get through six scoreless innings for Double-A San Antonio on Friday. The organization believes Brito needs more time to build up and maintain his stamina before calling him up to start or serve as a long man out of the bullpen. He could be called up at some point this month.

When Brito comes off the 60-day IL, the Padres will need to make a move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Croneworth update

Stammen said second baseman Jake Cronenworth has started to feel "a hair better" and "less foggy" as he works back from a concussion.

"I wouldn’t say it’s dramatic," Stammen said of the improvement. "But we’re trending in a better direction than what we were previously."

Cronenworth last played on May 4 and will need a rehab assignment before returning.

Marquez rehab

Starting pitcher Germán Márquez (right forearm nerve irritation) is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday night.

Márquez will need time to build up, as he last pitched on May 1. The maximum length of a rehab assignment is 30 days, barring an extension.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 4:25 PM.