CATCHING PROSPECT BACK AFTER ACCIDENT

Jonny Homza may yet rise to again become one of the Padres’ top catching prospects.

In due time.

For now, the 23-year-old Alaska native is content to be back on a baseball field after a cervical fracture sustained in an offseason biking accident likely threatened more than a career in professional baseball.

Held back in extended spring training to start the year, Homza is back in action in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, although he’s played exclusively at designated hitter to start his comeback.

The right-handed-hitting Homza, 23, is 2-for-14 with a double, an RBI and three walks and seven strikeouts through six games played.

Homza signed for $250,000 as the Padres’ fifth-round pick in 2017 out of high school. He was hitting .256/.367/ .427 with six homers through July 2021 to push himself into top-30 consideration in the Padres’ system before arm trouble played a role in a late slide.

With the Padres moving their best prospects in the deal that netted Juan Soto, they’ve got just two players in Mlb.com’s updated top 100 and one name leapfrogged the other on the list released Wednesday.

Shortstop Jackson Merrill is now the top prospect in the organization, according to Mlb.com, ranking No. 88 ahead of catcher Luis Campusano at No. 98.

Last year’s first-round pick, the 19year-old Merrill hit his second homer at low Single-a Lake Elsinore on Wednesday and, including 10 rehab games in rookie ball as he came back from a wrist and leg injury, is hitting .346/.398/.497in 38 games to start his first full year in pro ball.

Campusano, 23, hit his 12th homer on Wednesday and is hitting .305/.370/ .483 in 76 games in his second stay with Triple-a El Paso. Campusano hit .295/.365/.541 with 15 homers in 81 games last year with El Paso.

Campusano began the season ranked No. 44 in Mlb.com’s top 100 but has not received an opportunity in the majors this year.

Merrill was not ranked at Mlb.com to start the season.

Around the farm

El Paso (AAA): LHP Jay Groome has a 2.87 ERA, 13 strikeouts and a 1.53 WHIP in three starts since arriving in the Eric Hosmer trade. For the

(Through Friday; min. 200 plate appearances, 50 innings pitched; only players still in organization) .335 — 2B Alain

Batting average:

On-base percentage: Slugging percentage:

Liberato (AAA)

Homers: 18 — 2B Eguy Rosario (AAA)

RBIS: 74 — 3B Marcos Castanon (A)

Steals: 38 — OF Justin Farmer (A)

Wins: 8 — LHP Tom Cosgrove (AA/

AAA) 2.00 — RHP Alan Mundo (A/A+) 1.10 — RHP Edwuin Bencomo (A+/AA) 11 — RHP Angel Felipe (AA/

ERA: WHIP:

Saves:

Strikeouts:

SO/W:

.430 — Camou .525 — OF Luis 7.13 — RHP Thomas Eshelman (AA/AAA)

season, the 23-year-old is 4-6 with a 3.49 ERA, 109 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP in 1081⁄3 innings.

San Antonio (AA): INF Brandon Dixon tied a franchise record with nine RBIS while hitting for the cycle on Wednesday. Dixon, 30, has nine homers in 21 games (1.253 OPS) with the Missions.

Fort Wayne (A): LHP Jackson Wolf, a fourth-rounder last year, is 6-7 with a 4.09 ERA, 126 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP in 1052⁄3 innings.

Lake Elsinore (A): INF Marcos Castanon is hitting .253/.379/.468 with 18 homers in 97 games with the Storm. Castanon was a 12th-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara last year.

ACL Padres (R): RHPS Jordan Guerrero and Carter Loewen returned from Tommy John surgery this week and threw a pair of scoreless innings across two appearances each. Guerrero was a sixth-round pick in 2015. Loewen signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

DSL Padres (R): 2B Alain Camou, 18, is hitting .335/.430/.450 with one homer, 15 doubles and nine steals in 53 games. Camou was signed in January.

jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com