Jhony Brito returns to MLB for the Padres, aiming to stabilize a taxed bullpen

Jhony Brito is back in the majors for the first time in nearly two seasons, and the San Diego Padres are treating the return as more than a feel-good milestone. The right-hander was in the Padres’ clubhouse before Monday night’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks and is scheduled to be activated Tuesday, giving San Diego another option amid a stretch of bullpen wear and roster strain.

Brito’s path to this moment has been defined by elbow trouble, a rehab process that ultimately required significant surgery. According to MLB reporting, the right-hander underwent UCL internal brace surgery and flexor tendon surgery in April 2025, then spent the 2026 season building his way back through a series of minor-league appearances. While his major-league future has been on hold, his work in the minors has been detailed enough for the club to feel comfortable about bringing him back now.

In the 2026 rehab window, Brito made four starts at Triple-A El Paso and Double-A San Antonio, plus two appearances in the Arizona Complex League. The reported performance lines underscore why the Padres decided to activate him: at El Paso, Brito went 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA and struck out 19 while walking nine over 18 2/3 innings, and at San Antonio he went 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA, recording eight strikeouts against five walks in 18 1/3 innings. Those outings came after his surgery, and manager Craig Stammen indicated the team’s confidence is tied to how Brito has been pitching recently.

San Diego’s need is obvious. The Padres have had injuries across both starting and bullpen roles, and the club has not been immune to midseason roster churn. MLB reporting notes that the Padres have not announced a starter for Tuesday night yet, and Stammen said Brito is “under consideration,” suggesting the organization is still mapping how his skills and recent workload translate into the next immediate assignment on the pitching staff.

The uncertainty is partly about role definition, not about readiness. The same MLB report quotes Stammen acknowledging that the specific role is still being determined, while emphasizing that Brito’s rehab process has been moving well and that the team is excited to add him to the staff. Brito himself, speaking through an interpreter, described the return as something he had been chasing for a long time, and said once the plan for a comeback was in place he was eager to get back.

Brito’s last MLB outing for the Padres came Aug. 10, 2024, when he worked 2 1/3 innings in relief in a 9-8 win in Miami. That appearance marked his 26th major-league game, all as a reliever, and he was in the middle of a first Padres season after arriving in the blockbuster trade on Dec. 7, 2023, that sent Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees. Now, with his first activation nearly two years after his last big-league appearance, Brito will join a bullpen and pitching staff that needs reliable innings and depth options even as the club continues to manage day-to-day needs.

What to watch next is how the Padres deploy him once he is officially on the roster. With Stammen indicating that the role could evolve, Brito’s early usage will likely reveal whether San Diego views him primarily as a multi-inning bridge arm, an option for leverage spots, or a flex starting look. For a team navigating injuries, a controlled return can matter as much for team stability as it does for the player’s recovery.