Randy Vasquez of the Padres has no convincing arguments for a return to the MLB

Promising San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Vasquez remains winless in the minor leagues this year, despite making his fifth appearance for Triple-A El Paso in 2024. Pitching against Triple-A Oklahoma City, Vasquez allowed six hits and four earned runs and recorded two strikeouts in four innings.

Vasquez has now dropped to 0-5 this season, having allowed 26 earned runs in 26.2 innings. He has posted an 8.78 ERA and 27 strikeouts in five starts and seven games.

The 25-year-old spent much of the season with the Padres, making his Padres debut on April 20 with a start against the Toronto Blue Jays. He played a crucial role in the Padres' starting lineup, especially following injuries to Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, who both spent over two months on either the injured or restricted list.

Vasquez has had an inconsistent time in the major leagues, allowing one or fewer earned runs in some starts and up to five or six earned runs. In his last three starts with the Padres over 12.2 innings, Vasquez allowed 13 hits and 10 earned runs with 10 strikeouts.

Overall, Vasquez finished 3-6 with a 4.63 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 17 major league starts this season.

The Padres need a member for the rotation with Darvish still out and the team sending Matt Waldron to Triple-A. However, Vasquez has yet to earn a Triple-A win this season and may need more time in El Paso.

Prior to this season, Vasquez was part of the New York Yankees organization after signing with the team as an international free agent in 2018. He made his first appearance in Triple-A with the Yankees affiliate in 2023, going 2-7 with a 3.90 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 25 starts. He also made his MLB debut in 2023.

In five starts and 11 total games for the Yankees last season, Vasquez went 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 33 strikeouts. After the season, he was traded along with Michael King, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and Kyle Higashioka as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees.