Padres minors: Jhony Brito solid in El Paso start, Kerrington Cross leads Storm to win

Perhaps the Juan Soto trade isn’t done bearing fruit for the Padres.

Jhony Brito made his first start for Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday, striking out four while allowing a run over four solid innings.

The 28-year-old right-hander allowed the lone run on a solo homer to former top prospect Jarred Kelenic. He finished with four hits allowed and three walks while throwing 44 of his 77 pitches for strikes.

Brito’s two fastballs — a four-seamer and sinker — largely sat 95 mph in the outing, although it ticked downward a bit in his fourth inning of work. He also threw a high-80s slider, a knuckle curve, change-up and sweeper.

It was Brito’s seventh minor league start after missing all of 2025 following an elbow reconstruction. He has a 21-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio while posting a 3.18 ERA over 28⅓ innings so far in the minors, which included one run over 11 innings over his final two rehab starts with Double-A San Antonio.

Brito was then activated from the injured list and optioned to El Paso to continue to stretch out as an option to boost the big-league rotation.

The Padres acquired Brito in December 2023 alongside right-handers Michael King, Randy Vasquez and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka for Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham. Thorpe ultimately helped complete the trade for Dylan Cease and Higashioka departed as a free agent after hitting a career-high 17 homers in 2024 for the Padres, but King, Vásquez and Brito remain in the organization.

At the time of the trade, Brito had just completed his rookie season with the Yankees, striking out 72 batters against 28 walks while posting a 4.28 ERA in 90⅓ innings split between the rotation and bullpen.

The Padres used Brito exclusively in relief in the majors in 2024 (4.12 ERA, 43 ⅔ IP) but was beginning to stretch him out in the minors when forearm trouble began to surface.

After losing all of last year to the elbow surgery, Brito will have one minor league option left to be used in 2027, a valuable commodity for an organization that traded away Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert last year, could lose King, Nick Pivetta, Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning, Lucas Giolito and Germán Márquez to free agency after this season and has yet to get Joe Musgrove back from his Tommy John surgery.

Wednesday’s scoreboard

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (28-37)

Round Rock 4, Chihuahuas 2: After Brito’s exit, RHP Logan Gillaspie (6.51 ERA), LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (1-2, 9.75 ERA) and RHP Ethan Routzahn (3.31 ERA) each gave up a run in an inning of work. RHP Ty Adcock (13.50 ERA) struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning. CF Carlos Rodriguez (.731 OPS) went 2-for-5 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. C Blake Hunt (1.075 OPS) went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (25-34)

Frisco 5, Missions 0: DH Ethan Salas (.805 OPS) went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. RHP Eric Yost (0-2, 3.38 ERA) allowed three runs in 3⅓ innings in the loss.

HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (24-35)

Dayton 14, TinCaps 2: RHP Maikel Miralles (0-7, 9.87 ERA) allowed four runs—three earned—in four innings in the loss. 1B Jack Costello (.757 OPS) went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. DH Justin DeCriscio (.750 OPS) went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

LOW SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (34-25)

Storm 6, Ontario 1: RHP Jesus A. Castro (2.72 ERA) struck out 12 over 4⅔ shutout innings in the start, scattering three hits and two walks. RHP Nick Falter (2-1, 2.13 ERA) earned the win with 2⅓ scoreless innings. CF Ryan Wideman (.898 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and two steals to push his total to 39. 1B Kerrington Cross (1.029 OPS) went 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, two walks and two runs scored. DH Luke Cantwell (1.011 OPS) went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk.

ROOKIE ACL PADRES (15-13)

Padres 11, White Sox 6 (7): C Jack Mathey (.501 OPS) went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and a walk. SS Dawson Willis (.933 OPS) went 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

ROOKIE DSL GOLD (4-2)

Padres 9, Dodgers 0 (7): LHP Carlos Alvarez (4.05 ERA) struck out three and allowed two walks over four no-hit innings in the start. 2B Yorvin Morla (1.023 OPS) drove in two runs on his first homer. LF Eddson Martinez (1.662 OPS) and DH Joniel Hernandez (.962 OPS) both drove in two runs on two hits. Martinez doubled.