CJ Abrams, the 10th-best prospect in baseball in CBS Sports’ estimation, has made the San Diego Padres Opening Day roster, San Diego announced.
Abrams, who has never appeared in a game at a level higher than Double-A, figures to see action at shortstop and potentially other positions during Fernando Tatis Jr.’s absence. (Tatis is expected to miss several months after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured wrist.) Here’s what CBS Sports wrote about Abrams earlier this spring:
Abrams may have made his big-league debut late last season had he not broken his leg and sprained his MCL as part of a June collision. Prior to that incident, he had hit .296/.363/.420 with 16 extra-base hits and 13 stolen bases (on 15 tries) in 42 contests at the Double-A level. It’s to be seen if Abrams’ elite speed will be impacted by his injuries. Provided the answer is “no,” he could slot into the Padres’ lineup early next year as a hit-over-power option at either of the middle-infield positions.
Abrams appeared in 17 games for the Padres this spring. He batted .324/.359/.514 with two home runs but nine more strikeouts than walks in 39 trips to the plate. San Diego had used him in the outfield as a means of improving his defensive versatility.
The Padres should be able to find at-bats for Abrams both on the dirt and in the grass. Currently, San Diego is projected to start either Ha-Seong Kim at short or Jurickson Profar in left field, depending on the given day. Abrams could represent an upgrade over either of them if he’s able to take quickly to big-league pitching.
San Diego will open its season on Thursday evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
