Justin Upton Injury: Updates on Padres OF's Oblique and Return

San Diego Padres left fielder Justin Upton returned to the team's lineup on July 24, the Padres announced. He suffered an oblique injury on July 19 that sidelined him for three games. 

His prompt return was expected, as assistant GM Josh Stein said Upton would likely return to action during the team's current home stand, which ends on July 26, via the Padres.

While Upton is back in the lineup, it's unclear if he'll remain on the team for long. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Upton is the most likely Padres player to be traded prior to the deadline.

The Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros are rumored as prospective suitors, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, who added context to the Padres' current circumstances:    

After he was initially injured, Upton described his injury, per Mighty 1090 AM's Annie Heilbrunn:

With little chance of rallying to take the National League West, San Diego may be better off dealing Upton away in his contract year. Convincing teams to take the three-time All-Star with a nagging ailment may be rather difficult, though.

As long as he's in San Diego, the Padres need Upton's big bat to help compensate for a dead-last ranking in on-base percentage if it's meant to have any chance of salvaging a disappointing 2015 campaign.