Brad Hawpe is expected to return to the Padres' lineup Friday.

Hawpe has been away from camp for the past two days to attend his grandmother's funeral.

Brad Hawpe went 2-for-3 and hit his first spring homer Monday against the Royals.

Hawpe, who will be the Padres' primary first baseman this season, is off to a nice 6-for-11 start this spring. He's no Adrian Gonzalez for sure, but he should be just fine in the middle of San Diego's lineup. Unfortunately, Petco will make it a struggle for him to put up quality fantasy numbers.

Padres signed 1B-OF Brad Hawpe to a one-year contract.

Hawpe will have the unenviable job of replacing Adrian Gonzalez at first base, despite just spending 72 innings at the position during his entire major league career. The 31-year-old batted just .245/.338/.419 with the Rockies and Rays last season, but despite PETCO Park being one of the worst environments for left-handed hitters, we're expecting better things for 2011.

Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press reports that the Padres have reached a one-year contract with free agent Brad Hawpe.

Hawpe still has to pass his pre-signing physical, so the deal probably won't be made official until after the weekend. The 31-year-old will be asked to play first base in San Diego and should hit near the middle of the order. While he posted a disappointing .245 batting average and 758 OPS over 298 at-bats in 2010, Hawpe does boast an 862 career OPS and has hit well inside of PETCO Park. He should relevant in most NL-only fantasy leagues.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Padres are "on the verge" of a deal with free agent Brad Hawpe.

The Padres decided to go the cheap route. Hawpe will start at first base in 2011 for San Diego after batting .245 with a 758 OPS, nine home runs and 44 RBI over 298 at-bats for the Rockies and Rays in 2010. He probably won't be much of an option in mixed leagues playing half of his games at the cavernous PETCO Park, but NL-only leaguers might want to take a look.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Padres are talking to Brad Hawpe.

Unable or simply unwilling to pay for Derrek Lee or Adam LaRoche, the Padres are currently considering some buy-low options such as Hawpe and Russell Branyan. Hawpe, 31, batted just .245 with nine homers, 44 RBI and a 758 OPS in 298 at-bats between the Rockies and Rays this past season. Though it was a down season for him, he still managed to maintain a high walk rate and is a better bet to stay healthy than some of the available alternatives. Just a bonus, he has actually hit pretty well at PETCO Park during his career. It could be a nice match.

According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, Brad Hawpe is fielding multiple offers.

Hawpe, 31, batted just .245 with nine homers, 44 RBI and a 758 OPS in 298 at-bats between the Rockies and Rays this past season. Since he is a liability on defense, we see him fitting best in the American League. The Rays would receive a sandwich pick in next year's draft if he signs a major league contract elsewhere.

Brad Hawpe declined the Rays' offer of arbitration.

Hawpe posted a pedestrian 758 OPS over 298 at-bats this year between the Rockies and Rays and will probably have to settle for a bench job in 2011. He will net the Rays a supplemental round pick when he signs.

Brad Hawpe will decline arbitration from the Rays.

We're guessing this was one of those "gentleman's agreements," as Hawpe will have a hard time finding a lucrative contract on the open market. Hawpe, 31, batted just .245 with nine homers, 44 RBI and a 758 OPS in 298 at-bats between the Rockies and Rays this past season. It doesn't help that he is an awful outfielder, so he probably fits best as a DH in the American League moving forward.

Brad Hawpe was offered salary arbitration by the Rays.

The free agent Hawpe will be looking for a multi-year deal this winter. He registered a weak .245/.338/.419 batting line this past season, but he still has a decent power bat and would make a fine addition to any bench.

Brad Hawpe was 2-for-5 with a grand slam and two runs scored in a blowout win over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.

Eight of the team's 10 hits were for extra bases. Kelly Shoppach also went deep, while Ben Zobrist added a pair of doubles. Hawpe's grand slam put the finishing touches on a six-run fourth inning off starter Ricky Romero. Though Hawpe's numbers have dipped against just about everybody this season, it was nice to see him hit a home run against a southpaw, who he has traditionally struggled against in the past. We still see him having some fantasy value down the stretch if he is able to hit righties from the DH spot.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said he will decide whether to start Brad Hawpe or Dan Johnson at DH against right-handers based on statistics and matchups.

The manager added the caveat that he feels the Rays owe it to Hawpe to give him a legit chance at playing time after he chose them over other teams. Hawpe has started two of three games since being brought up, striking out in all four at-bats in his first contest but homering in his second. Johnson is hitting just .161 over 56 at-bats this season with the Rays.

Rays purchased the contract of OF Brad Hawpe from High-A Charlotte.

Hawpe is now eligible for the postseason roster. His arrival should spell the end of regular playing time for Dan Johnson, who despite his penchant for walks, is batting just .177 in 52 at-bats with the Rays this season. Rays manager Joe Maddon said last week that Hawpe will be used primarily as a left-handed designated hitter, so he has a chance to have some real value down the stretch. He could be worth a speculative add in mixed formats.

Rays manager Joe Maddon said that Brad Hawpe will be used primarily as a left-handed designated hitter.

The Rays are certainly playing towards Hawpe's strengths. He is not a quality defender, but he does have an 895 OPS against right-handed pitching during his career. Hawpe will report to Single-A for now, but look for him to be called up before September 1 in order to be eligible for the postseason. He'll likely cut into Dan Johnson's playing time, but he is a far better fantasy option when used appropriately.

Rays signed OF Brad Hawpe to a minor league deal.

Hawpe will see time in right field and at DH. He's no guarantee to provide anything noteworthy for Tampa following his release from the Rockies after batting .255 with seven home runs over 259 at-bats, but it's a low-risk move that has some moderate upside.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says that Brad Hawpe has chosen to sign with the Rays.

He picked Tampa Bay over the Red Sox and Rangers. Hawpe was released from the Rockies this month after batting .255 with seven home runs over 259 at-bats. The Rays have been looking to add some offensive punch, but we're not sure Hawpe is an upgrade over Matt Joyce, Willy Aybar or Dan Johnson.

Brad Hawpe has now officially cleared waivers and is free to sign with any team.

Because of his deteriorating defense, he is probably a better fit for an American League team where he can DH and backup at 1B and in the corner outfield. If he ends up in Tampa Bay or Texas, he could get some okay short-term playing time and be fantasy relevant in deeper leagues.

Brad Hawpe has not quite cleared waivers yet - teams still have today to claim the outfielder if they want to pay his salary for the rest of the year.

Troy Renck apologized for the confusion, but there's little reason to think a team would be willing to pay his salary when his clearing waivers has been a foregone conclusion all along. Look for an AL team like the Rangers, White Sox or Rays to sign him as a free agent and slot him in at DH to limit his defensive shortcomings. In the right situation - perhaps the Rays - Hawpe might still have fantasy value this year.

A source informed Troy Renck of the Denver Post that Brad Hawpe has cleared waivers and is now able to sign with any team.

The waivers were just a formality anyway. According to Renck, Hawpe should sign with a new team by Thursday. The Rangers are considered the early favorite to land him, however the White Sox, Rays and Padres are also in the mix.

The Rangers have interest in Brad Hawpe as a potential fill-in for the injured Nelson Cruz.

Hawpe would give the team a left-handed bat in the outfield until Cruz is ready and could also provide some depth at first base. He is a native of Fort Worth, and Rangers hitting coach Clint Hurdle used to manage him in Colorado, so it seems like a fit. The Padres and Giants have also reportedly expressed interest in the outfielder.