Padres promote Javier Guerra to AA; will Fernando Tatis Jr move up too?

The Padres have promoted Javier Guerra to AA San Antonio from Lake Elsinore, an interesting move that may have a ripple effect.

Guerra hasn’t been lighting it up at the plate, but his improved general attitude, steadier play in the field, and signs of hope at the plate may be a sign of better things to come for the soon-to-be-22-year-old. His .226/.267/.358 line on the season is nothing special, but his season OPS is still 35 points higher than last year’s numbers. He’s in the midst of a solid month, hitting .270/.313/.492 through 63 at-bats with two triples and two home runs. Guerra’s manager in Lake Elsinore, Edwin Rodriguez, may be partially responsible for the turnaround. Rodriguez has an extensive backround in both managing professional baseball and developing Latin players. With a spot on the 40-man roster, Guerra could be a late-season call-up if he continues to show progress.

Guerra’s promotion leaves a vacancy that some suspect could be filled by promising stud Fernando Tatis, Jr. All the two-time Midwest League Player of the Week and midseason All-Star has done is hit 16 home runs and swipe 20 bases on his way to a .860 OPS as one of the youngest players in the Class-A Midwest League. AJ Preller and his staff have said that they will aggressively promote deserving players, and this could be a strong move in that direction.