Inside The Padres

Former Padres Outfielder Traded to Rays, Will Face San Diego This Weekend

Feb 25, 2019; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Travis Jankowski (16) walks in the first inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Feb 25, 2019; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Travis Jankowski (16) walks in the first inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

In this story:


The San Diego Padres will see a familiar face this weekend as former outfielder Travis Jankowski has been acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Most recently a member of the Chicago White Sox, Jankowski was dealt to the Rays in exchange for cash considerations and will fast track his way to the active roster.

More news: Another Padres Player Suffers Injury in Loss to Rays

Tampa Bay optioned infielder Coco Montes to Triple-A and transferred Shane McClanahan to the 60-day injured list in corresponding moves.

Jankowski started his MLB career in San Diego back in 2015 and was a member of the Padres until the 2019 season. During those five seasons, he had a slash line of .241/.317/.318 with an OPS of .635.

After his time in San Diego, the outfielder made appearances with the Cincinnati Reds during the shortened 2020 season, and next found himself on the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021. The 2022 campaign was spent mostly with the New York Mets, and a sole appearance as a member of the Seattle Mariners.

More news: Former Padres Infielder Announces Sudden Retirement From MLB

In 2023, Jankowski started a stint as a member of the Texas Rangers that not only proved to be his most regular season appearances since the 2018 season (107), but the outfielder would help the Rangers win a World Series at the conclusion of that year. He batted .333 in his seven October appearances with an OPS of .844.

After another year with triple-digit appearances in 2024, Jankowski left Texas to head to the White Sox to kick off 2025. After seven games in Chicago, he will now begin a new chapter with the Rays.

Over 11 total seasons, Jankowski is batting .235/.319/.304 with an OPS of .623. He has hit just 11 career home runs, but has 358 hits, 96 RBIs, and 102 stolen bases in that span.

More news: Padres Fall in Latest MLB Power Rankings From National Outlet

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.


Published | Modified
Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles. His focus is sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at DodgersNation and Newsweek. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and is a Masters Candidate at the University of Southern California. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing gabe.smallson@lasportsreport.com. You can find him on X @gabesmallson

Share on XFollow gabesmallson