The Padres think so highly of Luis Urias and expect so much of him that they wanted him to be ready.

Really ready.

The 21-year-old second baseman is the first arrival of the rest of their lives, and the hope is his first call-up to the big leagues is his only one.

After finishing his time in Triple-A on a .429/.490/.670 tear over his final 23 games, the Padres’ No. 4 prospect will be recalled in time to make his major league debut Tuesday night at Petco Park.


The call-up comes even before major league rosters expand Saturday and will allow the 21-year-old second baseman to play as many as 29 games.

Urias is also expected to play some at shortstop. Incumbent shortstop Freddy Galvis could see time at second.

The Padres could call up at least one other player Saturday and will call up another handful when Triple-A El Paso is finished with the playoffs.

For the Padres, it was troubling to some extent that after a strong spring training in major league camp Urias wasn’t more consistent and struck out far more this season in Triple-A (once every 4.9 plate appearances) than last year in Double-A (once every 8.1 plate appearances).


But while working through mechanical issues, Urias went through some extended hot streaks, including a .333/.409/.448 stretch over 24 games from June to early July. And his final hitting line of .296/.398/.447 indicates promise.

On Monday he was named the second baseman on the All-Pacific Coast League team.

The Padres also believe Urias, the 22nd-ranked prospect in all of baseball, has demonstrated an ability to get on base and can raise his level of play even more once in the majors.

He was 8-for-28 with five doubles and five walks in 16 spring training games.


Until now, the players the Padres called up were not among those being counted on to help comprise the core of the championship roster the team’s architects believe they are assembling.

Urias signals the beginning of that end goal.

Catcher Francisco Mejia, ranked third in the Padres’ system and No. 21 overall by MLB.com, is expected to be promoted for his Padres debut in September. Mejia, who made 18 major league plate appearances for the Indians between this year and last before the Padres acquired him in a trade last month, has been playing solely behind the plate for the Chihuahuas but is also expected to see time at the corner outfield spots. Mejia is batting .300/.343/.480 with four home runs and six doubles in 108 plate appearances for El Paso.

Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres’ top-ranked prospect and considered one of the top two prospects overall, spent the season in Double-A before suffering a fractured finger last month. He is expected to be in big league camp in the spring with a chance to make the opening-day roster.


Pitchers Cal Quantrill (No.10 in Padres system) and Logan Allen (No. 8, No. 86 in MLB) are not expected to be called up this season after jumping from Double-A to Triple-A this month. They will pitch for the Chihuahuas in the postseason and should compete for starting jobs with the Padres in spring training.

Second-ranked prospect MacKenzie Gore, a 19-year-old left-handed pitcher, and the rest of the Padres’ most highly-touted prospects are either in Double-A or lower.

The Padres will have to make a corresponding move Tuesday to make room for Urias on the 25-man roster. They currently have an open spot on the 40-man roster.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com