The Padres on Wednesday claimed Hector Sanchez off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. In order to create room on the 40-man roster, left-hander Robbie Erlin, who will undergo Tommy John surgery, was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Sanchez, who is out of minor league options, is expected to meet the Padres in Milwaukee on Friday. The team will carry three catchers, though sources indicated that roster configuration likely won’t be a long-term thing.

“It’s about getting some catching depth, getting some protection while (Austin) Hedges is out,” Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said late Wednesday. “I don’t know if it’ll be for an extended period of time.”

Sanchez joins starting backstop Derek Norris and backup Christian Bethancourt on the active roster. Hedges, who opened the season catching for Triple-A El Paso, is expected to be a key piece for the big-league club at some point, but he underwent hamate-bone surgery two weeks ago. His projected recovery time was six to eight weeks.


“We’ll figure out how to navigate it, how we choose to construct a roster going forward,” manager Andy Green said of carrying three catchers.

The Padres currently have three infielders -- third baseman Yangervis Solarte, utility man Alexi Amarista and second baseman Cory Spangenberg -- on the disabled list with leg injuries. When one of them returns, the club might attempt to pass Sanchez through waivers, which would allow them to send him to Triple-A.

Norris is off to a slow start at the plate, hitting .187 with two home runs. Norris has often been mentioned as a trade candidate, but it would come as a surprise if the Padres moved him while his value is low.

Bethancourt, also out of options, started the second game of the Padres’ doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday and crushed a tape-measure home run in the fifth, ending John Lackey’s no-hit bid. Bethancourt has homered in each of his last two starts.


“I think you saw a guy whose bat we can use off the bench very consistently, in Bethancourt, if that’s the way we choose to go,” Green said.

Sanchez, a 26-year-old switch-hitter, has spent most of his big-league career in the National League West. He was a reserve for the San Francisco Giants each of the last five seasons and once was the personal catcher for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

Lincecum, a free agent coming back from hip surgery, recently pitched in an open showcase in Arizona. The Padres were among more than 20 teams who attended the event. The right-hander is expected to sign with a club in the near future.

One source said the addition of Sanchez is unrelated to any pursuit of Lincecum. Still, one would imagine it can’t hurt.


Sanchez went 1-for-7 with the White Sox this season. He was designated for assignment Monday. Over parts of six major league seasons, he is a .238 hitter with 10 home runs in 604 at-bats.

Coincidentally, his last home run came in a blowout victory for the Giants last July 21 at Petco Park. With San Francisco leading 5-0, Sanchez launched a grand slam in the sixth inning. He briefly admired the blast before flipping his bat. That drew the ire of some Padres players. Then-San Diego reliever Dale Thayer, who gave up the slam, threw a piece of gum as Sanchez began his home-run trot.