Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks missed a third straight start Thursday against the Cardinals due to a sprained right ankle. Yangervis Solarte continues to start at third base in his absence.
Middlebrooks did agility drills on the field Thursday, per MLB.com. He could be back in the lineup Friday.
Middlebrooks has struggled offensively for several weeks, as he is batting .183 in his last 27 games.