Padres notes: Ramón Laureano has hip surgery; David Morgan up; Jeremiah Estrada goes to IL

Ramón Laureano's season - and perhaps his time playing for the Padres - has likely come to an end.

Laureano underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip on Friday and is expected to miss at least four months.

"Obviously, (it) is devastating news for us," manager Craig Stammen said. "… It’s a big loss. It’s a guy we were counting on a lot coming into the season."

Bryce Johnson started in left field Friday night.

"(Johnson) is probably going to get more of an opportunity than he ever has had going forward," Stammen said.

He went on to say that recently elevated Jace Bowen and Samad Taylor will also get time in left along with Gavin Sheets.

Stammen indicated Sheets and first baseman Ty France will continue to be in the lineup virtually every game, as they have been the Padres' most consistently productive hitters. Sheets was the designated hitter Friday, but has been playing left field fairly regularly since even before Laureano went on the injured list Monday.

Laureano did not report the injury to the Padres until Sunday. He and the team hoped an injection and some time on the IL would be sufficient for the inflammation and pain to subside. That is the process Laureano used when he hurt his hip in 2021. But imaging this week revealed a significant enough tear that Laureano was convinced to get surgery.

Laureano was acquired at the trade deadline last season and solidified the position until fracturing his right index finger in the final week of the season and missing the Padres' playoff series. The team picked up the $6.5 million option on his contract for 2026, and he began the season as their hottest hitter. He was moved to the leadoff spot in the season's second week and had an OPS above .800 as late as April 23. He hit .143 with a .518 OPS from that point to his final game Saturday.

The Padres were aware of the possibility Laureano would miss substantial time when they designated Nick Castellanos for assignment on Tuesday. They preferred to go with Bowen and Taylor for the athleticism they provide in the field and on the bases.

Estrada to IL, Morgan back

The Padres also made a move in the bullpen, placing right-hander Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation and recalling righty David Morgan.

"Should be back relatively quick," Stammen said of Estrada. “But it just bothered him pushing off the mound, and we felt like it was best to IL him."

Estrada, who spent three weeks on the IL in April with elbow tendinitis, had evidently been feeling soreness for several days. He allowed a run in both of his past two outings.

Morgan returns a little more than a month after being optioned to Triple-A following a series of rough outings. He allowed nine runs in three innings over four appearances leading up to his demotion. He had begun the season yielding just one unearned run in 10⅓ innings (seven appearances).

"I think for me mentally it was really good just to be able to feel more comfortable working on things that I didn’t feel comfortable working on here, because when you’re here it’s just go, go, go, and you gotta win," Morgan said of his time in El Paso. "Down there, there was a little bit more leeway on, like, ‘Hey, you can take your time to work on some stuff' and go out there and kind of experiment with some things and ultimately figure out what I needed to figure out."

More injury updates

• Laureano's move to the 60-day IL made room for right-hander Jhony Brito on the 40-man roster, as his rehab assignment came to a close Friday. Brito, who is considered an option for the rotation perhaps as soon as this month, was optioned to Triple-A. He allowed four runs in 18⅓ innings in his four rehab starts in Double-A. Brito had surgery last year to repair a flexor tendon tear and place an internal brace on his UCL.
• Catcher Luis Campusano (big toe fracture) returned to San Diego from the team's complex in Arizona and continued to do baseball activity at Petco Park. He is still experiencing enough discomfort that the Padres believe he is at least several days from starting a rehab assignment.
• Second baseman Jake Cronenworth was in the clubhouse Friday greeting teammates. Cronenworth is playing catch, running and hitting off a tee as he works back from a concussion. The Padres continue to say that, while there was improvement noted last week, there is no timeline for Cronenworth's return. He has been out since May 5 and will likely need to play several minor-league games before rejoining the team.

Castellanos cut

The Padres officially released Castellanos on Friday.

When a player is DFA’d, the team has seven days to trade or release him.

The Padres will pay the remainder of the $780,000 they owe him. He is also receiving $19.22 million from the Phillies, who released him in February.

Annie Heilbrunn contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 5:41 PM.