The 2026 season is upon us! The rest of the Padres’ minor league full-season squads get underway next week, but for now, we have El Paso in action against the other Sacramento team. Please make sure you come back every day to read our daily reports and on-site coverage. For now, let’s dive in!
Chihuahuas 9, Sacramento River Cats 3
Key Statistics: LF Samad Taylor, 2-for-5, R, RBI; 2B Sung-Mun Song, 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI; CF Jase Bowen, 1-for-5, R, HR (1), RBI; 1B Jose Miranda, 2-for-5, RBI; 3B Pablo Reyes. 1-for-3, R, RBI; RHP Matt Waldron, 3 IP, 2 H, 3 K; RHP Sean Boyle (W, 1-0) 3 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K; RHP Alek Jacob, 2 IP, 2 H, K
Jase Bowen impressed with his athleticism this spring. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: While the Padres dropped to 0-2 on the young season, El Paso scored six runs in the fifth inning to cruise to a victory on opening night. El Paso tallied 11 hits with all nine starters finding the hit column at least once. … Organizational newcomer Samad Taylor had the system’s first hit with a leadoff single in the first inning as part of a two-hit night. Taylor, 27, attended high school in Corona – just 25 miles from the Lake Elsinore Diamond. The former 10th-rounder has seen big league action in each of the last three seasons with the Royals and Mariners. He spent the bulk of last season in Tacoma, where he generated a .296/.378/.461 slash-line with a career-high 17 homers. He provides a speedy and versatile depth option if the big-league club needs to dip into the system for help. … Jase Bowen also made his organizational debut and connected on his first homer of the season. Bowen blasted a changeup 440 feet into the Sacramento night in the seventh innings. The prodigious blast was Bowen’s only hit of the night in the El Paso victory. The 25-year-old signed with the Padres in the offseason as a minor league free agent after spending six seasons in the Pittsburgh organization. Last season, Bowen had a 124 wRC+ between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, despite a K-rate north of 27%. The former 11th-rounder impressed in the spring and was one of the final roster cuts in spring training. He will be one of the more interesting players to follow in El Paso this season. … Sung-Mun Song made his North American debut on a rehab assignment and reached base twice with a single and a walk. He also lined out with an exit velocity north of 100 mph. The Padres signed the former KBO star to a four-year, $15 million contract in the off-season to serve as a utility player, but an oblique strain kept him off the opening day roster. There is no indication on how long Song’s rehab stint will last beyond April 1, but the Padres currently feature a bench full of players who cannot be optioned to the minors. … Song wasn’t the only rehabber, as Matt Waldron drew the opening night nod in his first rehab start—the 29-year-old missed time after having a well-documented surgery in February. The former Nebraska looked sharp, pitching three scoreless innings. Waldron sat at 93 mph with his sinker and had good command of all his pitches, including his knuckleball. He threw 37 pitches, 25 for strikes. Waldron will likely get a few more starts before the organization decide on about his future, as he is also out of options and will need to be activated by the big league club or designated for assignment. … Righty Sean Boyle took over for Waldron and pitched three innings to earn his first win as a Padres farmhand. The 29-year-old signed with the Padres as a free agent this season after spending seven seasons in the Yankees’ system. Boyle appeared in 28 games (23 starts) for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, where he pitched to a 4.61 ERA in 134.2 innings.
Roster Move: The Chihuahuas made a roster move before they even played in a game. Catcher/outfielder Colton Vincent, who was listed on the El Paso “break camp” roster, was transferred to the development list. The 26-year-old has appeared in 116 games over the last three seasons after signing with the Padres as an undrafted free agent.
