Middlebrooks (ankle) remains out of the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Middlebrooks continues to nurse an ankle issue dating back to last Sunday, but was thought to be a candidate to rejoin the lineup Friday after going through agility drills Thursday. However, Yangervis Solarte will receive the start at third base once again, batting fifth for the Padres.

Middlebrooks (ankle) went through agility drills Thursday and could return to the lineup as soon as Friday, Corey Brock of MLB.com reports.

Middlebrooks rolled his ankle while chasing a foul ball Sunday, but he appears to be close to a return. The team's medical staff will evaluate him Friday but there looks to be a good chance that Middlebrooks could return to action before the weekend.

Middlebrooks (ankle) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners.

Middlebrooks pinch hit in Tuesday's game, so it appears he's close to returning to the field. However, it's also just possible that the Padres are favoring Solarte over him currently as well. Regardless, Middlebrooks shouldn't be held out too much longer, by the issue, and it wouldn't be surprising if he rejoins the lineup within the next few days barring a setback of some kind.

San Diego Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks is not in the lineup for the second consecutive game Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners because of an ankle injury, according to the team's official website.

San Diego Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks is not in the lineup for the second consecutive game Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners because of an ankle injury, according to the team's official website. Middlebrooks was able to pinch hit Tuesday, and he is not expected to be placed on the disabled list.

Middlebrooks (ankle) will be available to pinch-hit Tuesday, Corey Brock of MLB.com reports.

According to interim manager Pat Murphy, Middlebrooks did not display enough mobility in pre-game warmups to warrant a return to the starting lineup. However, the fact that Middlebrooks will be available to pinch-hit suggests it's not a long-term concern. He suffered the injury after stepping on a bat while attempt to catch a flyball during Sunday's game.

Middlebrooks (ankle) is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Mariners.

While attempting to settle under a flyball in foul territory Sunday, Middlebrooks slipped on a bat in the on-deck circle and was forced to leave the game. He will miss at least one start as a result, with Yangervis Solarte stepping in to man third base in his absence, but consider Middlebrooks day-to-day until the team elaborates on the severity of the issue.

San Diego Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners because of an ankle injury, according to the team's official website.

San Diego Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners because of an ankle injury, according to the team's official website. Middlebrooks left Monday's game after he stepped on a bat while attempting to make a play in the field.

Middlebrooks left Sunday's game after stepping on a bat while chasing a fly ball into foul territory, FOXSports reports.

The extent of the injury is unknown at this time, but managers setting their lineups in weekly leagues may want to err on the side of caution if they have a good replacement option on the bench. The Padres have Monday off, so a day of rest might be enough time to get Middlebrooks ready for Tuesday's start of their series against the Mariners.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup Saturday against Arizona.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup for the first time since June 15. The Padres will have Yangervis Solarte take over the hot corner and bat second in the order against Jeremy Hellickson. Even when Middlebrooks is out of the lineup, he often comes in to pinch hit, so it's possible that he'll get an at-bat Saturday.

Middlebrooks will be on the bench for a third straight game Monday against the Athletics.

The Padres alleviated their roster crunch to a degree Monday by placing Wil Myers (wrist) back on the disabled list, but Middlebrooks still finds himself out of the lineup, as Yonder Alonso and Yangervis Solarte occupy the corner-infield spots. Given Solarte's ability to hit from both sides of the plate, it appears Middlebrooks could be forced to settle for the small end of platoon duties at third base due to his right-handedness.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup Sunday against the Dodgers.

Yonder Alonso will move back to first base with Wil Myers receiving the day off, but manager Bud Black will roll with Yangervis Solarte instead of Middlebrooks at the hot corner. In the midst of a 1-for-17 slump, Middlebrooks is in heavy danger of continuing to lose reps at third base.

Middlebrooks is not in Saturday's lineup, the Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders reports.

With Wil Myers playing first base the Padres will give Yonder Alonso his first start of the season at third. This could become a trend, as Alonso has been one of the team's best hitters and Middlebrooks has not done much to solidify his claim on the position.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup Tuesday against Atlanta.

Middlebrooks will be replaced at third by Yangervis Solarte, who will be batting sixth in the order against Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz. After putting together a seven-game hit streak, Middlebrooks went 0-for-5 with a strikeout in Monday's extra innings victory.

Middlebrooks was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a solo home run in San Diego's win over the Reds on Friday night.

He has quietly been a contributing factor recently and has swatted four home runs over the past two weeks. While he is still batting just .243, he now has eight home runs and 28 RBI, and his value could potentially get another boost at some point. He has appeared in three games at shortstop this season and could now (or soon) qualify at that position.

Middlebrooks finished 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI against the Pirates on Sunday.

The 26-year-old has been seeing added playing time while Yonder Alonso and Wil Myers are out and is now batting .344 with three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored in his last eight games. As long as he sees regular at-bats, Middlebrooks could be a nice, cheap source of power.

Middlebrooks went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Angels.

Middlebrooks doubled home Derek Norris in the second inning, then clubbed a two-run homer off of Garrett Richards in the fourth to put San Diego up for good. The 26-year-old has been up-and-down this month, but he's amassed multiple hits in three of his last four games, homering twice over that span.

Middlebrooks recorded a pair of base hits and scored a run in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Angels.

Middlebrooks has produced exactly two hits in four of his last six starts, an encouraging sign after his rough opening to the season. The Padres' infield will be more crowded when Wil Myers (wrist) and Yonder Alonso (shoulder) return from the DL, but manager Bud Black could create regular at-bats for Middlebrooks by slotting him in at shortstop, where he played Saturday. If his defense is up to snuff, he'd likely give the Padres a higher-upside offensive option than the light-hitting Alexi Amarista.

Middlebrooks will start at shortstop and bat seventh Saturday against the Dodgers, Corey Brock of MLB.com reports.

It marks not only Middlebrooks' first start at shortstop in the majors, but his first start at short as a professional. The Padres have gotten next to nothing from the likes of Alexi Amarista and Clint Barmes, offensively, so Middlebrooks could continue to see time up the middle if he can play even marginally serviceable defense.

Middlebrooks is not in the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Nationals.

Middlebrooks started the first two games of the series, but will sit in favor of Cory Spangenberg at the hot corner Sunday afternoon. The move will allow manager Bud Black to get his regular third baseman a day of rest, as well as get Jedd Gyorko in the lineup at second base. Middlebrooks had been on a four-game hit streak prior to a 0-for-4 showing Saturday night.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Middlebrooks is out of the lineup for a third straight game, with Yangervis Solarte getting another start at the hot corner. Middlebrooks hasn't recorded a hit since Apr. 27, and he owns a .191/.230/.340 slash line for the season. His time as the Padres' regular third baseman may be numbered, though it's still quite possible he'll get another shot.