Padres Insights: ABS Challenges Reviewed, Griffin Canning Injury Update
The Padres are refining how they use challenges under the new Automated Ball-Strike system. Manager Craig Stammen says the club wants to avoid wasting reviews, and to deploy them where they matter most.
ABS strategy and in-game choices
Stammen favors finishing games with no unused challenges. He also wants players to feel confident about when to challenge a call.
Entering Tuesday, the team was 2-for-3 on offensive challenges. Catchers led the defense, going 3-for-5 on field challenges. Those totals rank among the most conservative offensive challenge rates in MLB.
Padres staffers use a color-coded reference in the dugout. The sheet functions like an NFL go-for-2 chart. Still, players must absorb new rules during live at-bats.
Key moment: ninth inning decision
In Monday’s ninth inning, Jake Cronenworth opened the frame with a walk. Fernando Tatis Jr. chose not to challenge a called strike on a 2-1 slider.
The pitch appeared above the zone on MLB’s Gameday app. It did not end the plate appearance. Tatis then foul tipped the next pitch for a strikeout.
Two batters later Jackson Merrill hit a home run. The rally cut the Giants’ lead to 3-2. That score held as the final result. The Giants used closer Ryan Walker in the ninth.
Stammen stressed the tension between clear hitting approach and situational challenge decisions. He noted spring training’s 30 games are limited time to teach matter-of-fact challenge habits.
Why counts matter
Count leverage is a major reason to preserve reviews. Hitters in a 3-1 count have a 1.518 OPS this season. Hitters in a 2-2 count have a .442 OPS.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Offensive challenges | 2-for-3 |
| Defensive (catchers) | 3-for-5 |
| 3-1 count OPS | 1.518 |
| 2-2 count OPS | .442 |
For readers tracking these developments, Padres Insights: ABS Challenges Reviewed provides useful context. The club expects many internal conversations about optimal challenge use.
Griffin Canning rehab update
Right-hander Griffin Canning threw three innings in a simulated game on Monday. He worked roughly 50 pitches at low Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Inclement weather forced a change from his scheduled outing in Tacoma with Triple-A El Paso. The organization moved the work to Lake Elsinore as a result.
Canning will make his next appearance on Saturday. That outing will be a rehab start for Double-A San Antonio in Tulsa. The work is part of his recovery from an Achilles issue.
He reported feeling ahead of schedule and ready to build innings. Canning said progress has gone well since he signed.
For fans following the recovery, Griffin Canning Injury Update will have continued details after his Tulsa start. The club plans to monitor his workload closely.
