Zaun lands with Padres

GLENDALE — In need of catching depth, the San Diego Padres looked at a Glendale resident to possibly fill that slot.

San Diego reportedly signed St. Francis High graduate Gregg Zaun to a minor league contract Tuesday, according to msnbc.com. Zaun, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Brewers before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that he believed might have ended his career, earned an invitation to spring training, where he’ll compete for the backup job with Rob Johnson.

Zaun, 39, and Johnson will compete for the reserve role to play behind starter Nick Hundley. Zaun, who graduated from St. Francis in 1989, batted .265 with two home runs and 14 runs batted in last season for the Brewers. He signed as a free agent after spending the 2009 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

Zaun has posted an on-base percentage above .340 in seven straight seasons. Zaun was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round in 1989 and helped the Florida Marlins win the World Series in 1997.

Zaun might be reunited with Mark Loretta, a teammate of Zaun’s at St. Francis. Loretta, a former All-Star, retired after the 2009 season to become a Padres special assistant to the baseball operations staff.

In 1,232 games, Zaun is batting .252 (878-3,489) with 194 doubles, 88 home runs and 446 runs batted in.