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Padres reliever Adrian Morejón has worked with mental performance coach Jeremías Alvarez since February 2024, with daily calls or texts and weekly online sessions. Morejón credits the work with helping him manage setbacks as San Diego faces elimination in its NLDS against Milwaukee; he was held out of Game 2 and is expected to play a major role in Game 3.
Padres reliever Adrian Morejón has worked with mental performance coach Jeremías Alvarez since February 2024, a routine he credits with helping him stay composed after difficult outings. The account, reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune on October 5, comes as San Diego faces elimination in its best-of-five National League Division Series against Milwaukee, with Morejón expected to play a major role in Tuesday’s Game 3.
Morejón’s approach was tested in the series opener when a sinker to William Contreras was hit for a go-ahead home run in the Brewers’ 3-2 win. Afterward, Morejón said he had to move on and prepare to compete the next day. He was not used in Game 2, according to the report, and the Padres now need a win at Petco Park to keep their season alive.
The coach’s work is regular rather than limited to in-season check-ins: Morejón and Alvarez talk or text daily and meet online for an hour each week throughout the year. Morejón said he noticed a difference within a month of starting. He has described earlier struggles with dwelling on mistakes and losing confidence when an inning began badly.
Morejón’s results have improved since a difficult 2023, when he posted a 7.00 ERA in nine major-league innings amid injuries and a limited season. He made his first All-Star team in 2025. In 2026, he finished the regular season with a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over a career-high 86 innings, according to the report.
A Reliever’s Work Beyond the Mound
For a high-leverage reliever, a mistake can quickly affect the next pitch, the next batter and the team’s position in a close game. Morejón’s account shows how he has worked to interrupt that pattern: rather than treating a home run or a rough inning as proof that everything is going wrong, he says he focuses on competing again and improving the next day.
The story also makes clear that the coaching is one part of his preparation, not a substitute for pitching skill or a guarantee of results. Morejón’s 2026 statistics establish how productive his regular season was; his own remarks and the coaches’ observations describe the mental approach he says has helped him. With the Padres facing elimination, his availability and ability to contribute in Game 3 could matter to San Diego, though the report does not confirm how many innings he will pitch.
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From Injuries to a New Routine
Morejón underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and returned to the Padres in June 2022, pitching 34 innings that season. He then encountered more injuries in 2023 and managed only nine major-league innings, posting a 7.00 ERA. The setbacks affected his confidence, he told the Union-Tribune, and he recalled that a walk could lead him to feel the rest of an outing was going badly.
During the following offseason, Padres pitching coach Jose Rada worked with him at the club’s Arizona complex and noticed that his confidence dropped after mistakes. Rada and pitching coach Ruben Niebla directed his attention toward the mental side of the game. Morejón initially resisted the idea of seeking help, describing cultural discomfort around discussing mental health. He eventually contacted Alvarez in spring training 2024 after encouragement from his wife, Melany.
One early test came when Morejón had a strong spring but was told he would not make the Padres’ Opening Day roster and would report to Triple-A El Paso. He later described accepting the decision and being ready for whatever the team needed as evidence that he was handling disappointment differently.
“Today it happened to be my day that I give up a home run. It’s about competing the following day and figuring out how to be better tomorrow.”
— Adrian Morejón, after Game 1 of the NLDS
Game 3 Role Still Unspecified
The report says Morejón is expected to play a major role in Game 3, but it does not specify whether he will pitch or how the Padres plan to use him. His being held out of Game 2 does not, by itself, establish the reason. The team’s exact pitching plan and Morejón’s workload remain unconfirmed in the supplied report.
The account describes Morejón’s own view of the coaching and the observations of Padres staff, but it does not quantify how much the sessions contributed to his statistical improvement. His season numbers are reported results; attributing them to mental coaching alone would go beyond the available information.
Padres Turn to Petco Park
Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Petco Park, where the Padres must win to avoid elimination in the best-of-five series. Morejón is expected to be part of the club’s effort, but the report gives no confirmed assignment or pitch count. The game will clarify how San Diego deploys the left-hander and whether its bullpen can keep the season alive.
Key Questions
When did Adrian Morejón begin working with a mental performance coach?
Morejón began working with coach Jeremías Alvarez in February 2024, after Padres staff encouraged him to focus on the mental side of his game.
How often do Morejón and his coach speak?
According to the report, they talk or text daily and meet online for an hour each week, year-round.
What were Morejón’s 2026 regular-season numbers?
He finished the regular season with a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while pitching a career-high 86 innings, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune report.
Will Morejón pitch in Game 3?
He is expected to play a major role, but the report does not confirm that he will pitch or specify his planned workload. Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Petco Park.
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