May 24, 2019

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

According to multiple reports, Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) will be called up by the San Diego Padres on Friday and will make his major league debut against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Dennis Lin, of the The Athletic, was the first to report the promotion.

The San Diego Padres have not officially announced the transaction.

Now in his fifth professional season, the 21-year-old Naylor owns a .299/.378/.538 slash line and has 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 45 games with the triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas this season. The left-handed hitting slugger, who has played both first base and in the outfield this season, is the second Canadian to be promoted by the Padres in 2019, joining right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) who will start for the club on Saturday.

Set to become the 10th Canadian to suit up in the major leagues this season, Naylor was a first-round pick (12th overall) of the Miami Marlins in 2015. The 5-foot-11, 250-pound Canuck spent one year in the Marlins’ organization before he was swapped to the Padres on July 29, 2016 as part of a seven-player deal.

Naylor has excelled in his four seasons in the Padres’ organization. Last season with the double-A San Antonio Missions, he batted .297 with 17 home runs and 74 RBIs in 128 games.

In all, in parts of five minor league seasons, he owns a .286/.349/.438 slash line and has belted 53 home runs.