The San Diego Padres promoted outfield prospect Franmil Reyes, who has more home runs that any player in the minors, on Monday in an attempt to bolster their struggling lineup.
Infielder Carlos Asuaje was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.
Reyes, 22, is batting .346 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in 36 games this season at El Paso. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Dominican slugger has homered seven times in his past 10 games.
"Every time I go up to the plate, I know I'm going to do damage, no matter who is up there pitching," Reyes told the San Diego-Union Tribune in a recent interview.
Reyes is expected to make his major league debut Monday against the Colorado Rockies. Veteran third baseman Chase Headley was designated for assignment Saturday, opening a spot on San Diego's 40-man roster.
The Padres enter Monday's game with a .227 team batting average and a .662 OPS, second-worst in the majors in both categories. They also have the second-most strikeouts in the majors (416), trailing only the Texas Rangers.
Asuaje is hitting .198 with two home runs and 13 RBIs this season.
