Padres Outfielder Suffers Apparent Injury, Exits Sunday's Cactus League Game

He's competing for one of the final spots on the Opening Day roster.

Mar 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jase Bowen (45) and second baseman Samad Taylor (0) avoid colliding against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres outfielder Samad Taylor was forced to exit Sunday's Cactus League game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after suffering an apparent injury.

Taylor, who's with the Padres as a non-roster invite, appeared to injure his lower right leg after pulling a pitch foul during his at-bat in the sixth inning of Sunday's game. He was replaced by outfielder Carlos Rodriguez in the contest, an eventual 4-4 tie.

Manager Craig Stammen said after the game that Taylor appeared to just be dealing with a cramp in his calf.

"Just a cramp, I think, in his calf," Stammen said. "It's spring training so you don't want to push him."

Taylor, 27, signed with the Padres in January on a minor league deal. He's among the handful of players competing for the final bench spot on the Opening Day roster.

Taylor got off to a hot start this spring but has since cooled down, currently hitting .233 with an OPS of .565 across 30 Cactus League at-bats. He has five runs batted in and three stolen bases while playing all three outfield spots.

Taylor was initially drafted by Cleveland in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2017 trade deadline, and then moved again at the 2022 deadline to the Kansas City Royals.

He made his MLB debut with Kansas City in 2023 — hitting .200 with an OPS of .546 and eight stolen bases across 31 games — before being traded to the Seattle Mariners ahead of the 2024 season. He appeared in just seven games across the 2024 and '25 seasons with Seattle, going 3-for-13 (.231).

Taylor is now with San Diego where he was hoping to impress enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot. With his bat cooling down, though, he's likely to open the season in Triple-A, where he'll fight for an MLB call-up at some point during the year.

Taylor brings positional versatility, as he's played all three outfield spots and both second and third base at the MLB level. He brings tons of speed, as he's stolen at least 43 bases in each of the last three seasons in Triple-A, including 50 in 2024.

Taylor is likely behind Bryce Johnson, Jose Miranda and Ty France in the competition for the final roster spot. Thus, he'll likely need to play well in Triple-A to earn an opportunity unless there are multiple injuries at the MLB level for San Diego early in the year.

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