Avila will be called up from Double-A Amarillo to start Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Avila spent time in major-league camp this spring but his promotion comes as a bit of a surprise considering he spent all of 2018 at High-A Lake Elsinore. The 22-year-old allowed one run on two hits over six innings during his lone start with Amarillo this season. It could be a brief stay in the majors for Avila, as the Padres simply want to provide Chris Paddack with an additional day of rest, according to Lin.