North Vancouver’s Rowan Wick is going to the show.
The San Diego Padres are soon expected to confirm that they are calling the hard-throwing right-handed relief pitcher up from the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas.
Rowan Wick is no longer a candidate to be called up when rosters expand tomorrow ... because he's been called up today. (Kirby Yates has been placed on the bereavement list.)
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) August 31, 2018
The 25-year-old has taken a twisty path to the majors, getting drafted twice as a slugging catcher before being moved to the outfield and then ultimately making the leap onto the mound as a pitcher in 2015.
It was the St. Louis Cardinals who converted Wick to a pitcher before the Padres claimed him off of waivers prior to the 2018 season. This year Wick has shown well sharing time between AA and AAA, picking up 14 saves with 64 strikeouts and 31 walks in 54 innings while registering an earned-run average of 2.67 and a 1.28 WHIP. He was named to the AA Texas League South All-Star team earlier this year.
The Padres are hosting the Colorado Rockies in a four-game series ending Sunday before moving on to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks in a pair of contests Monday and Tuesday. Read this 2017 feature to find out more about Wick’s transition from slugging catcher to fire-balling reliever.
