The Padres made another nice move in getting two lefty relievers for the price of one.  Wil Ledezma has great stuff but he hasn’t converted it into results as of yet.  Look for Bud Black to bring out the best in Ledezma in helping him reach his potential.  Ledezma has pitched in 35 games this season for the Braves and Tigers and he is 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP.  In 45 innings he has allowed 50 hits, walked 30 batters and whiffed 31.  Look for Black to try to get Ledezma to attack the strike zone more and let his defense help him.  Will Startup is a 23 year old lefty reliever that was pitching really well in AAA ball this season.  In 42 games in AAA Startup was 3-2 with 1 save, a 2.23 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  In 48.1 innings this season he has allowed 38 hits, walked 17 batters and whiffed 47.

Royce Ring just was too wild for the Padres taste and that’s why he never stuck around despite having good stuff.  He was 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP in 15 games with the Padres.  The Padres made another good trade that didn’t cost them much to improve the team.

The Padres have acquired third baseman Morgan Ensberg from the Astros for a player to be named later.  Ensberg has had a rough season for the Astros hitting only .232 with a .707 OPS in 85 games.  He is 52 for 224 this season with 36 runs scored, 8 homers and 31 RBIs.  Still, Ensberg is only two years removed from a season in which he hit 30+ homers so the Padres will probably let him battle Kevin Kouzmanoff for at bats at third base.  Ensberg has played in 673 games in his major league career and he is 551 for 2,072 (.266 avg, .842 OPS) with 323 runs scored, 105 homers and 335 RBIs.

The Padres have added valuable reserve Rob Mackowiak from the White Sox for minor league pitcher Jon Link.  Mackowiak can handle 3B, 2B and the outfield corners on defense so the Padres will likely keep him busy the next couple of months.  Mackowiak has played in 85 games this season for the White Sox and he was 66 for 237 (.278 avg, .772 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 6 homers and 36 RBIs.  Mackowiak has had a good career as a reserve that plays often.  He has played in 790 career major league games and he is 585 for 2,219 (.264 avg, .748 OPS) with 294 runs, 63 homers and 280 RBIs. 

Jon Link is a 23 year old righty reliever who has pitched in A-ball this season.  He was 2-1 with 13 saves, a 3.07 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 41 games.  Link has tossed 41 innings this season and he has allowed 32 hits, walked 11 batters and whiffed 45.  Link was a small price to pay for a player of Mackowiak’s ability.

The Padres have placed starting pitcher Chris Young on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle.  The Padres need to be careful with Young who has been their best pitcher so far this season.  Young has started 20 games this year and he is 9-3 with a 1.82 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.  In 118.2 innings this season Young has allowed only 78 hits, walked 39 batters and whiffed 114.  The Padres have recalled Tim Stauffer from AAA ball to replace Young in the rotation until he is ready to return.  Stauffer has pitched in 20 games (15 starts) in AAA ball this season and he is 5-4 with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP.  Stauffer has some major league experience as he has pitched in 16 games (15 starts) and he has a 4-6 record with a 5.07 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

The Padres decided that they have seen enough of Russell Branyan so they released him earlier today.  Branyan played in 61 games this season for the Padres and he was 24 for 122 (.197 avg, .748 OPS) with 16 runs scored, 7 homers and 19 RBIs.  The thing that really bothered manager Bud Black the most was the fact that Branyan whiffed 48 times in his 122 official at bats this season.