Austin Hedges is getting called up

If you've kept an eye on the El Paso Chihuahuas, you might have noticed that Austin Hedges is off to a hot start with the Padres' AAA affiliate. While drawing rave reviews for his work behind the plate, the young catcher has had some serious trouble with his bat. But in his 75 plate appearances this season, he's hitting a nice .343/.413/.552 line. Let's hope that's not just an illusion created by the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, because the word is he's about to get his first shot at the big leagues.

Sources: Austin Hedges is being called up by the Padres.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) May 4, 2015

There's no word yet about why he's getting the call, but there are really only two possibilities. The first is that backup catcher Wil Nieves is being DFA. Nieves only has one hit to his credit in 13 plate appearances, though it was a pretty impressive hit. But he's also been a liability behind the plate. In 4 games, he's allowed 3 passed balls and been stolen on 5 times. The second, much worse possibility is that Derek Norris is going on the disabled list. Norris did take a bat to the foot during this afternoon's game, but remained on the field.

Whatever the reason for Hedges being called up, joining the team in San Francisco was easy.

Hedges is already with the team in San Francisco. Caught today's @epchihuahuas game in Sacramento, then drove over.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) May 4, 2015