Padres option lefty Nick Ramirez, recall righty Aaron Northcraft

The Padres optioned Nick Ramirez after Friday night’s game, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Ramirez tossed a pair of scoreless innings early in the Padres’ 10-3 11-inning win on Friday night. He has made seven appearances on the season allowing six earned runs across 10 2/3 innings.

Opting to bring in a fresh arm, Aaron Northcraft has been recalled in Ramirez’s place. The 31-year-old Northcraft made his major league debut this season, tossing six innings across four outings, allowing just a pair of earned runs. The Padres used seven pitchers to get through Friday’s game, so Northcraft should be put to use pretty quickly for the Friars.

Pitching depth figures to remain an issue throughout the season, even for a team with as many weapons as San Diego. MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell expects the Padres to explore the trade market for a starter and a lefty solution in the pen before the trade deadline. Until that point (and indeed, even after), the Padres are likely to continue to be aggressive in managing their pitching staff with moves like the one on Saturday.