The Padres on Wednesday gave right-hander Jake Smith his first big-league call-up. Officially, the reliever was recalled from Double-A San Antonio. In reality, his path to the Petco Park clubhouse wasn’t nearly as direct.

Smith, having flown from San Antonio after the Missions’ season finale, had just arrived home in North Augusta, S.C., on Tuesday afternoon when a named popped up on his cellphone.

“I literally hadn’t even pulled my bags out of the car,” Smith said. “It was Phil Wellman, the Double-A manager, and he was telling me that I was going to the big leagues and that I needed to be in San Diego. They were asking if I could fly out (Tuesday) night, and I was, like, ‘I’ve got to wash some clothes.’”

The location of Smith’s residence is especially pertinent. Just across the Savannah River lies Augusta, Ga., home of the San Francisco Giants’ Low Single-A affiliate. From 2009 through 2011, Smith spent part of his summers working at Lake Olmstead Stadium. Not as a pitcher. As an unpaid volunteer on the grounds crew.


How Smith, 26, went from dragging the infield for future major leaguers to becoming one himself is “a fairly amazing story,” Padres manager Andy Green said.

Growing up in North Augusta, Smith pitched for a local homeschool team coached by Augie Rodriguez. Following his freshman year at Darton State College in Albany, Ga., Smith landed a summer gig close to home thanks to Rodriguez, an assistant groundskeeper at Lake Olmstead.

“He was doing a job and wasn’t getting paid,” Green said. “That shows the depth of desire that not many guys have.”

Eventually, Rodriguez set up an informal audition, a bullpen session observed by Steve Kline. Augusta’s then-pitching coach came away intrigued by Smith’s projectable frame, and the Giants offered him a small bonus to sign. Smith opted to continue his college career, transferring to Campbell University in North Carolina.


In 2011, San Francisco drafted Smith in the 48th round, with the 1,467th overall selection. This time, Smith signed for $5,000. By 2014, he had worked his way back to Augusta — as a pitcher.

The next year, Smith gained even more momentum on his unlikely journey. Pitching for High Single-A San Jose, he posted a 2.35 ERA and 118 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings. The Giants added him to their 40-man roster in December, and he reported to their big-league camp in February.

Shoulder problems limited Smith in the spring and carried into the season. He recorded a 7.08 ERA in Double-A before the Giants designated him for assignment at the end of June. A week later, the Padres claimed Smith off waivers and immediately optioned him to San Antonio.

“I was surprised by it a little bit,” Smith said of leaving the only organization he’d known, “but at the same time with this game, nothing is guaranteed. Just being able to have a jersey on my back, day in and day out still, I’m very thankful for that.”


Upon joining his new organization, Smith headed to Peoria, Ariz., to work with the Padres’ rehab staff. Not having pitched in eight weeks, he made a rookie-ball appearance last month and finally debuted for San Antonio on Aug. 17. In six games with the Missions, he allowed a total of one run.

“He’s only been healthy for us in San Antonio for a few weeks, but he threw the ball well,” Green said. “As an organization, we felt it was time to take a look at him and see what he brought to the table.”

After regularly touching the mid-90s last season, Smith’s velocity has been down a couple ticks as he’s returned from his injuries and focused on his command. The righty’s primary secondary pitch is a power curveball.

Green said he wouldn’t wait long before giving Smith his big-league debut. In a neat coincidence, the Padres will spend the first half of next week in San Francisco, where Smith might show his stuff to a number of former teammates, baseball-related and otherwise.


“I talk to a lot of those people that I worked with those three years (on the Augusta grounds crew) still today,” Smith said. “I pretty much got texts from all of them, calls from all of them. It means the world (being called up). It’s like a dream come true for me, just being able to step foot in the clubhouse.”

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