The San Diego Padres optioned veteran Robinson Cano after just 11 games with the club, but the second baseman refused the assignment and elected to enter free agency, the Padres announced Thursday.
In a corresponding move, San Diego selected outfielder Nomar Mazara to its major-league roster.
The Padres signed Mazara to a minor-league contract in December. The 27-year-old last appeared in the majors in 2021 when he played 50 games for the Detroit Tigers, hitting .212/.276/.321 with three homers.
Cano joined the Padres on May 13, several days after the New York Mets cut him. He went just 3-for-33 with one RBI and 10 strikeouts during his brief stint in brown and gold.
The 39-year-old served a season-long suspension in 2021 after the second positive drug test of his career. In 23 games between the Mets and Padres this campaign, Cano owns a .151/.184/.192 slash line with one homer, four RBIs, and 21 strikeouts.
Cano is a lifetime .301/.351/.489 hitter across parts of 17 seasons with the Padres, Mets, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners. The eight-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner has accumulated 2,635 hits, 335 home runs, and 1,306 RBIs over his career.
