Padres Sign Veteran Utility Man Ahead of Series With Dodgers

The San Diego Padres have added a veteran utility man ahead of their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres have signed Luis Rengifo to a minor league deal.

Rengifo, 29, was released by the Milwaukee Brewers this week after joining them on a one-year, $3.5 million deal over the offseason. Now, he's joining the Padres, and could help the big league squad sooner rather than later.

The Padres and veteran infielder Luis Rengifo have agreed to a minor-league deal, according to sources. Rengifo was released by the Brewers this week after he hit .205/. 280/.254 in 57 games.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) June 26, 2026

Luis Rengifo Career History

Rengifo initially signed with the Seattle Mariners as an International free agent in 2014.

He was then traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017, and again to the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.

He found a home with the Angels, appearing in 673 games with them from 2019-25.

Overall, he slashed .246/.305/.372 with 62 home runs, 249 RBIs and an OPS of .677. He was a key utility player in Anaheim, appearing at every position except catcher and pitcher.

Rengifo got his first MLB opportunity outside of Los Angeles this year, but struggled with Milwaukee. Overall, he hit .205 across 57 games with zero home runs, 19 RBIs and an OPS of .534. He had 24 strikeouts to 19 walks.

How Will Luis Rengifo Fit With Padres?

The Padres have continued to shuffle their active roster over the last few weeks, looking for something that sticks.

Rengifo could add positional versatility for manager Craig Stammen, while also being a capable bat at the bottom of the lineup.

Rengifo is a switch-hitter with great bat-to-ball skills. Despite his poor numbers this year, he ranks in the 95th percentile with a low strikeout percentage and the 79th percentile in whiff percentage.

Rengifo has mainly played at second base, third base and shortstop in his career, but can also play in the corner outfield spots. However, he's been a below average defender throughout his career.

Rengifo will likely head to Triple-A, where he'll work with the team's hitting coaches on unlocking something. Assuming he plays well in the minor leagues, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him join the big league club soon.

The end of the Padres' bench currently features Jase Bowen, Sung-Mun Song and Will Wagner. All three of them would theoretically be upgraded by Rengifo if he's playing up to his potential.

From 2022-24, Rengifo was an above average bat, hitting .273 with 39 home runs, 133 RBIs and an OPS of .754. He had an OPS+ above 100 each year, including a career-high OPS+ of 115 in 2024, meaning he was 15% better than league average.

Add us as a preferred source on Google