Former Padres Catcher Designated for Assignment By NL West Squad

He played just 10 games for the Rockies in 2023.

Jorge Alfaro, who played 82 games for the Padres last season, was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies on Friday in order to activate Kris Bryant off the injured list, who was returning from an injury to his heel. This was one of the few roster moves the team made.

#Rockies lineup vs. #Tigers. RHP Kris Bryant activated, LHP Ty Blach added, and C Jorge Alfaro designated for assignment. pic.twitter.com/SQw1pAAXgK

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) June 30, 2023

Alfaro only played 10 games with the Rockies this season, batting .161 and adding just 1 home run and 4 RBI. However, in the minors the 30-year-old catcher has had a solid season, hitting .323/.366/.524 on both the Red Sox's and Rockies' Triple-A squads. 

Alfaro had perhaps his best season in 2019, when he played 130 games for the Miami Marlins and averaged .262, adding 18 home runs. The 2023 version of Alfaro is likely not a consistent starter, but a good pickup for a team looking for a solid backup at the catcher position.

Gary Sanchez has been a decent starter for the Padres since signing with the team a month ago. In June, Sanchez has averaged .207 with an OPS of .752 along with 6 home runs. Should the Padres decide they need a reliable backup for Sanchez, Alfaro could be available soon. We'll see what happens when he heads to waivers.