It’s likely too late to really matter for this season.
But the long-awaited return of reliever Jose Castillo was something about which the Padres could smile on Thursday. The big left-hander’s absence is among the biggest blows the team absorbed in 2019.
“We’ve been looking forward to this all year,” manager Andy Green said.
Castillo, who before the season was expected to pitch in an abundance of high-leverage moments in 2019, was activated from the 60-day injured list on Thursday after spending the past five months rehabbing a forearm flexor strain.
He left a bullpen session at the end of February with tightness in his forearm.