NewsPadres unveil Fall League contingent
Organization sending six Missions to Arizona in October
Lance Zawadzki is hitting .279 with 14 homers and 72 RBIs in the Minors. (Chris Talley/FutureStarPhotos.com)
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
08/23/09 4:30 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- The Padres should have a full contingent of players who will take part in the upcoming Arizona Fall League. Six members of the Double-A San Antonio Missions are scheduled to play in the AFL for the Peoria Saguaros, who will be managed by former Major League third baseman David Bell. The AFL starts on Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 19 with the championship set for Nov. 21. Infielder Lance Zawadzki, catcher Mitch Canham, outfielder Cedric Hunter and pitchers Steve Garrison, Brandon Gomes, Mike DeMark and Evan Scribner are on the initial list of players from the organization who will play in the AFL, according to Grady Fuson, the Padres' vice president of scouting and player development. Garrison is the only player who isn't on the San Antonio roster. Zawadzki is hitting a combined .279 this season with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs between Class A Lake Elsinore and San Antonio. Canham is hitting .277 with six home runs and 49 RBIs. Hunter is hitting .252 with two home runs and 47 RBIs. On the pitching side, Gomes is 4-1 with a 2.94 ERA. DeMark is 2-3 with a 3.07 ERA. Scribner is 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 19 saves for the Missions. Garrison might be the most intriguing player of the bunch, though. Picked up in the 2007 trade from the Brewers for reliever Scott Linebrink, Garrison is working his way back from rotator cuff surgery that he had after last season. Garrison pitched four innings in his first game with Lake Elsinore on Saturday, recording three strikeouts. He was 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA in nine games with the Padres' entry in the Arizona League. Garrison was 7-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 24 starts for San Antonio a year ago and could be a candidate for a spot in the starting rotation next season with a strong showing in Spring Training.Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
