Padilla and Knight

[Guest AG/DC]

Your new Zephs. Padilla has been down so long with TJ surgery that he hasn't pitched since the Mets affiliated with Norfolk.

Padilla, Knight Join Zephyrs

Posted by Dave Sachs, New Orleans Zephyrs May 30, 2008 3:52PM

Right-handed pitchers Juan Padilla and Brandon Knight have joined the New Orleans Zephyrs, it was announced Thursday.

Padilla had been on the disabled list for the first two months of the season, as he recovered from two surgeries that forced him to miss the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The 31-year-old last pitched in 2005, when he went 3-2 with two saves and a 1.42 ERA in 37 games for Class AAA Norfolk before being promoted to the New York Mets. He went 3-1 with a 1.49 ERA in 24 games in the majors, but underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training the following year and has not pitched since.

Knight joins New Orleans after pitching in 2007 and 2008 for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League. Knight was 12-5 with a 4.03 ERA last year and was named the league's Pitcher of the Month in September for his 3-0 record, 1.54 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Knight, 32, was leading the Atlantic League with 50 strikeouts in six starts, including 14 in his final outing before signing with the New York Mets. A veteran of 14 professional seasons, he appeared in 11 games with the New York Yankees in 2001-02, and also spent three years pitching in Japan.