Padres Demote Pitcher, Reinstate Matt Waldron Off Injured List

Ahead of the second game against the Toronto Blue Jays for the San Diego Padres, the team has made a roster move.

The Padres announced that they have reinstated right-hander Matt Waldron off the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the team has optioned right-hander Jhony Brito to Triple-A El Paso.

We have reinstated RHP Matt Waldron from the 15-day IL and optioned RHP Jhony Brito to Triple-A El Paso.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 11, 2026

Waldon, 29, has been out since the middle of May due to a right brachialis muscle injury. The veteran struggled heavily before he went down with the injury, with the organization hoping for better results now that he is healed.

Overall, Waldron made six appearances for the Padres this year, registering an ERA of 8.49 across 23.1 innings. Right before he was placed on the injured list, the right-hander was expected to be designated for assignment.

“Safe to say my ERA and my numbers aren’t too attractive right now,” Waldron said at the time. “And I have no options, so I mean, yeah, that’s where I’ll leave it. I’m smart enough. But, yeah, I’m one day at a time right now.”

Now back with the Padres, Waldron will have another chance to prove himself to this club. Given how poorly the rest of the Padres pitching staff has performed of late, Waldron will have an opportunity to stay up in the big leagues if he can play well.

The Padres are expected to use Waldron out of the bullpen for now, but he also has proven to have the ability to be a starter over his career. Waldron was originally acquired by the Padres in 2020 as part of a trade with Cleveland.

Waldron has spent four seasons with the Padres, making his MLB debut in 2023. Across the four years, he owns an ERA of 5.25 over 216 innings

Padres Option Jhony Brito

As for Brito, he was just called up to the major leagues last week. The right-hander made two appearances for the Padres, posting an ERA of 4.15 in 4.1 innings.

Brito missed all of 2025 recovering from internal brace surgery and a flexor tendon repair in his right elbow. The veteran pitcher made 10 starts in the minor leagues this year across different levels (some as a rehab assignment), sporting an ERA of 2.30.

His time in Triple-A was his most effective, with the right-hander posting an ERA of 0.96 over 18.2 innings. Brito will now go back to the minor leagues heading into the All-Star break.

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