Padres sign Luis Rengifo to minor league contract

Rengifo was horrible in his limited time with the Brewers as seen in a .205/.280/.254 slash over 209 plate appearances. He’ll now be a free agent, but his struggles over the past few years likely mean he’ll be looking at a minor league deal with whatever organization gives him another chance.

Rengifo was atrocious in his limited time with the Brew Crew; forging a 205/.280/.254 slash line in 209 plate appearances before being designated for assignment. He could report to Triple-A if/when he goes unclaimed or untraded, but there’s just as good of chance he’ll become a free agent and look to rebound with a new organization.

Rengifo scored three runs in a game for the first time since 2024 and fifth time in his career. It’s as many runs as he scored during the entire month of May. He hit .217/.280/.217 in 75 plate appearances last month, and he came into tonight with just a .520 OPS for the year.

Rengifo has eight hits in his last three games, pushing his average from .179 to .220. He’s in sort of a rotation with David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz for two lineup spots each day, but he’s still slightly outpacing them of late. He’s in there every time the Brewers face a lefty, and he’s started six of the last eight times they’ve faced righties. It was Ortiz who sat today, with Hamilton playing short.

David Hamilton will start at third base, with Joey Ortiz back in the lineup at shortstop. Despite playing regularly, Rengifo has struggled this season with the Brewers, and both he and Ortiz remain off fantasy radars.

Turang claims that it’s a short term absence, and he plans to be back in the lineup on Friday. In the meantime, David Hamilton will make his second straight start at second base, with Luis Rengifo in the lineup at third base.

Hamilton is on the strong side of a platoon at third base, so he will continue to sit whenever a lefty is on the mound. However, he could be used as a pinch runner in those games, which gives him a bit more value in leagues with weekly lineup locks. Luis Rengifo will shift to the bench on Wednesday.

Rengifo gets the nod over speedster David Hamilton to face Rays lefty Shane McClanahan in his long-awaited return to the majors. The 29-year-old utility specialist figures to continue playing regularly against left-handed starters and getting a chance near the top of Milwaukee’s formidable lineup gives him some fantasy appeal in leagues that offer daily lineup changes.

It’s only one game, but it seems that Hamilton may have beaten out Luis Rengifo for the third base job in Milwaukee. Hamilton did enjoy a good spring, slashing .333/.393/.510 with one home run and seven steals in 56 plate appearances, but he’s also a .222/.283/.359 career hitter in 550 MLB plate appearances. What’s more, he graded out as an above-average defender at second base during his time with the Red Sox but a below-average one at shortstop. It remains to be seen how he can handle third base and how long he lasts as a starter, but his speed puts him on fantasy radars if he’s going to start against right-handed pitching.

As a team, the Brewers were running wild in this one, racking up six stolen bases in total with Rengifo and David Hamilton each stealing a pair. For the spring, the versatile 29-year-old is hitting .250 (5-for-20) with a home run, three RBI and two stolen bases in his first seven games.