27 Francisco Mejia C

Mejia is set to be traded from the Padres to the Rays in exchange for left-hander Blake Snell, pending a review of medical records, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Mejia was unable to maintain a spot on the Padres' active roster in 2020 after the team acquired Austin Nola and Jason Castro during the season. Although Mejia struggled mightily over a limited sample last year, slashing .077/.143/.179 with one home run and two RBI over 42 plate appearances, he should compete for major-league playing time behind the dish as Mike Zunino also had a lackluster year in 2020.

Mejia was optioned by the Padres on Saturday.

The Padres simply didn't need Mejia, as they acquired both Austin Nola and Jason Castro while he was out for a month with a bruised left thumb. Nola presumably lines up as the team's starting catcher heading into next season, but Castro will be a free agent, so Mejia could earn a bench spot next year. He won't necessarily have the job locked down, though, as he hit just .077/.143/.179 in 42 plate appearances this season, dragging his career line down to .225/.282/.386 in 362 trips to the plate. Eric Hosmer returned from a fractured finger in a corresponding move.

Mejia (thumb) was activated from the injured list Wednesday.

Mejia missed a month with a bruised left thumb. While he was out, the Padres acquired both Austin Nola and Jason Castro, so he could be buried down the depth chart for the stretch run. The fact that he was hitting .079/.146/.184 in 16 games prior to the injury certainly doesn't help his case for playing time, though he'll remain at least a bench option for now. Abraham Almonte was optioned in a corresponding move.

Mejia (thumb) has been hitting at the Padres' alternate training site and could be activated from the injured list in the near future, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Mejia was placed on the 10-day IL with a left-thumb bruise Aug. 17. He has resumed swinging the bat, though he hasn't yet reached a point in which he's ready to return. "He is progressing," manager Jayce Tingler said. "He's currently at USD, and he's getting a lot of at-bats. The hand continues to improve. All the reports from his game swings, he's taking baby steps forward from both sides of the plate." Cassavell notes that Mejia isn't likely to rejoin the Padres on their current road trip in Colorado, but he could be activated sometime next week.

Mejia (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday.

Mejia was revealed to have a left thumb contusion Monday, and his placement on the injured list will give him extra time to recover while allowing the Padres to add depth at catcher on the 28-man roster. Luis Torrens was recalled in a corresponding move, but Austin Hedges should handle the majority of the duties behind the plate while Mejia is sidelined.

Mejia is dealing with a left thumb contusion Monday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Mejia wasn't in the lineup for Sunday's contest, but he's apparently dealing with an injury. It's unclear when or how he suffered the injury, but the Padres currently only have one other catcher (Austin Hedges) on the active roster. Whether the injury will require a stay on the injured list remains to be seen, but allowing Mejia time to recover would let the Padres add catching depth while he's on the mend. The 24-year-old is off to a slow start this season, hitting just .079 with two extra-base hits, two RBI and nine strikeouts over 16 games.

Mejia is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Mejia was behind the plate for the first two games of the series, going hitless across seven at-bats. Austin Hedges will check in for him at catcher, working in a battery with starting pitcher Garrett Richards.

Mejia is not starting Thursday against the Dodgers.

Mejia will head to the bench as Austin Hedges picks up the start at catcher in Thursday's series finale. Across 14 games this season, Mejia is slashing just .097/.176/.226 with one home run.

Mejia remains on the bench Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Mejia and Austin Hedges, who gets the call behind the plate Tuesday, have now each been in the lineup nine times in the season's first 18 games. Mejia has just a .429 OPS this season, though that's still better than Hedges' .375 mark.

Mejia will sit Monday against the Dodgers.

Mejia has started nine times behind the plate this season compared to eight for Austin Hedges, who starts Sunday. The pair have alternated starts for eight straight games, so Mejia should have a good chance to return to action Tuesday.

Mejia went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's victory over Arizona.

Mejia was one of five Padres to go deep in the victory, staking the team to a nine-run lead with a two-run shot in the third inning. The long ball was a much-needed sign of life from the backstop position for San Diego -- Mejia is slashing .103/.188/.241 through 29 plate appearances this season while Austin Hedges is at .091/.091/.182.

Mejia is not in the lineup Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Mejia and Austin Hedges have come as close to an even split as possible behind the plate through the first 15 games of the year. Mejia has been in the lineup eight times, while Hedges, who starts Saturday, has gotten the nod on seven occasions.

Mejia isn't starting Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Mejia has seen the majority of the time behind the plate over the first several weeks of the season, but he'll get his second game off in the past three contests. Austin Hedges will be the starting catcher, batting eighth.

Mejia is not in the lineup Monday against the Dodgers.

Mejia had started the past two games at catcher, going 1-for-6 with a double and two strikeouts over that span. However, Austin Hedges will start behind the plate Monday, batting eighth.

Mejia will not start Friday's game against the Rockies.

Through eight games, there doesn't appear to be any clear starter behind the plate for the Padres. Mejia started Opening Day but will now sit for the fourth time, with Austin Hedges again getting the nod.

Mejia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game at San Francisco.

Mejia started the past two games but remains hitless through four appearances. Austin Hedges receives the start behind the plate for the Friars on Wednesday.

Mejia isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Mejia got the nod at catcher for the Padres' Opening Day contest, but he'll sit out after going 0-for-2 on Friday. Austin Hedges will start behind the plate Saturday, batting eighth. The two are expected to split time in some way this season, although their exact usage remains to be seen.

Mejia started at catcher in Friday's win over Arizona, batting eighth in the lineup and going 0-for-2.

The Padres have been mostly vague about how they will divide playing time behind the plate between Mejia and Austin Hedges this season, so the decision to give Mejia the Opening Day start shouldn't be over-analyzed. Still, Hedges caught most of Chris Paddack's starts last year, thus Mejia's presence in the lineup Friday comes as a bit of a surprise. For what it's worth, Hedges came into the game to play defense after Mejia was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, and the team has yet to announce which of the backstops will be in the lineup for Saturday's contest.

Mejia is trying out a new stance behind the plate in an effort to improve defensively, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

In the adjusted stance, Mejia kneels rather than squats. The Padres hope the change will enable Mejia to better frame and block pitches as he ranked among the worst backstops in baseball in multiple defensive metrics last season. In spite of his offensive potential, the team has not committed to making Mejia their unchallenged starter at catcher thanks largely to his poor glovework and the exceptional defense of fellow backstop Austin Hedges. The pair figure to fall into some sort of timeshare this season, but if Mejia can show adequate progress behind the plate, he could lock up the lion's share of playing time before long.

Mejia is not starting Saturday against Arizona.

The Padres don't appear to have a true starting catcher at the moment. Mejia and Luis Torrens have each started three of the last 10 games behind the plate, while Saturday's starter Austin Hedges had started four times in that stretch.