Padres Press Clips Thursday, April 19, 2018

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Luis Perdomo rocked as LA sweeps Padres SD Union Tribune Sanders 2

Decisions looming for outfield as Myers, Margot near returns SD Union Tribune Sanders 5

Wil Myers homers in rehab game with Storm SD Union Tribune Sanders 7

X-rays negative after Christian Villanueva plunked on hand SD Union Tribune Sanders 9

Padres' Hunter Renfroe thinks umpire Danley had a rough SD Union Tribune Acee 10 night, too

First pitch: Padres want Luis Perdomo attacking Dodgers SD Union Tribune Sanders 12

Padres notes: Headley hits; Green upset with rules; Margot SD Union Tribune Acee 14 faces Yates

Perdomo's rough return raises future questions MLB.com Cassavell 16

Headley adjusting to decreased playing time MLB.com Cassavell 19

Stammen and Co. extend scoreless streaks Padres.com Center 21

Minor League Matters: Who's turning heads in Class AA? The Athletic Lockard 22

Muncy homers, Maeda fans 10 in Dodgers' 13-4 win over Padres Associated Press AP 25

This Day in Padres History — April 19 FriarWire Center 27

Myers Homers on Rehab; Reed Continues Surge; Pitchers Sharp FriarWire Center 28

#PadresOnDeck: Naylor, Ruiz, Olivares, Guerra win Padres’ FriarWire Center 30 weekly honors

Andy’s Address, 4/18 FriarWire Center 32

Takeaways from the Padres’ 13-4 loss FSSD.com Horvath 36

Luis Perdomo rocked as LA sweeps Padres Jeff Sanders The Dodgers arrived at Petco Park in last place. They’re leaving on a roll, with Luis Perdomo gift-wrapping a sweep-clinching victory in a brief, shaky return from suspension.

There’s no guarantee Perdomo’s return is an extended stay, either.

The Padres’ third-year hurler allowed a career-high nine runs in three innings in a 13-4 loss, further stressing a bullpen that now leads the majors with 86-plus innings this season. Three of Perdomo’s four starts have lasted four or fewer innings, leading Padres manager Andy Green to contemplate whether the organization would be better served looking another another pitcher in the rotation while continuing his development at Triple-A El Paso.

“We’ve got to sit down and talk about it right now,” Green said. “That’s something conversationally, for us, as a coaching staff and a front office. We’ve done a lot to try to give him every opportunity to be successful at this level. And he’s given effort, man. He cares. He’s doing everything he possibly can. He’s working hard.

“It’s just not happening, and at some point in time, we’ve got to re-evaluate the situation, try to figure out what’s best for us.”

A day off will help the bullpen heading into a weekend series at the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, as will the imminent return of Kirby Yates from the disabled list.

The Padres will have to take a longer, harder look at what’s ailing the 24-year-old Perdomo, who was essentially put on notice by Green after allowing five runs in four innings in his 2018 debut.

The former Rule-5 pick was much better in Houston (5 IP, 1 ER).

Then he wasn’t around much in Colorado after throwing behind Nolan Arenado to trigger a benches-clearing brawl.

Then he wasn’t effective at all in his return from a five-game ban, which pushed his regularly- scheduled start from Monday to Wednesday.

“I think it probably affected me a little bit,” Perdomo said through an interpreter. “I had good rhythm coming out of those starts and I think having those days, not doing the same work, not having the same style of work, probably affected me a little bit, but I don’t want to put any excuse on it.

“I just have to keep working hard, take advantage of the opportunity and come back and get that rhythm.”

Perdomo (1-2, 8.36) threw only 49 of his 79 pitches for strikes, allowed nine runs on 10 hits and two walks and had his bullpen working in the fourth inning for the fourth time in the last week.

Christian Villanueva’s throwing error allowed two unearned runs to score in a three-run first, Corey Seager added a run-scoring single in the second and Max Muncy’s three-run homer in the third opened up a 9-2 lead.

“They were taking very aggressive passes on him, because there was no secondary command at all,” Green said. “Just sitting fastball. He was pitching with one pitch out there, and it wasn’t live movement like it is from time to time. If you don’t have the secondary, there’s nothing to go to. We needed him to have a long outing today for our bullpen. I think they covered 18 innings in three games this series, which can’t happen.”

Perdomo hadn’t allowed that many runs in a game – earned or not – since yielding eight in three innings last May against the Diamondbacks.

Wednesday’s effort raised Perdomo’s ERA to 9.55 in 33 career innings against the Dodgers and again threw his spot in the rotation in jeopardy.

Even he seems to know it.

“I think I'm always pitching for (my big league job),” Perdomo said. “Things didn't go well in the game. All I can do is go out there and keep working.”

The Padres have alternatives.

Robbie Erlin already filled in once for Perdomo during his suspension. Matt Strahm is continuing to build stamina on his rehab assignment. Walker Lockett is a minor league rotation option already on the 40-man roster and left-handed prospect Eric Lauer – who wowed this spring alongside Joey Lucchesi – has fanned 19 batters through his first 18 innings at Triple-A El Paso (3.00 ERA).

“We’ve been talking about a competitive culture all through spring training, all the way into the season,” Green said. “We intend to give guys opportunities that are rising up and taking advantage, like Joey Lucchesi, guys that are showing well. We have a number of young guys that we like in the organization. I’m sure the conversation will be forthcoming here soon as to what’s our best move.”

Tyler Webb absorbed most of Wednesday’s bloated workload, turning in three scoreless innings behind Perdomo.

Kazuhisa Makita worked a scoreless seventh, Grandal doubled in a run off Adam Cimber in the eighth and Craig Stammen allowed three runs in the ninth, snapping his scoreless streak at 11 1/3 innings as the Dodgers pushed their hit total to 18.

A night after tying the franchise-record with 20 strikeouts in a 12-inning loss, the Padres fanned 13 more times Wednesday to give them double-digits in more than half their games in this 7-13 start to the season.

Their 45 strikeouts in the series was the fourth-most combined strikeouts during a three-game set since 1913, according to STATS, Inc. Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn never struck out more than 40 times in an entire season.

“Our at-bats weren’t that bad (tonight),” Green said. “I know Franchy (Cordero) had some punchouts tonight. We put multiple guys on every inning, had quite a bit of hits. You put four runs on the board very quickly and get six, seven runs. That could’ve been a ballgame really fast. Once again, we were kind of searching for that last hit of an inning to kind of get us back into it. We didn’t get that hit.”

Green’s team leads the majors with 205 punchouts, is a bottom-seven team in batting average (.225) and on-base percentage (.299) and was trailing Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda 3-0 before taking its first hacks Wednesday night.

Maeda struck out 10 and allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. Left- hander Adam Liberatore struck out Cordero with two on to end the sixth.

Carlos Asuaje’s two-run double in the third cut the Padres’ deficit to 9-4, one of his two hits. Cory Spangenberg also mixed in two hits with two strikeouts, while Cordero fanned four times in a sweep that erased the three-game winning streak that San Diego carried into the series against defending NL champion Dodgers.

“That's just how quick baseball goes,” Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said before the game. “You have to flush those things.”

Decisions looming for outfield as Myers, Margot near returns Jeff Sanders Andy Green planned on difficult decisions this year. Wanted them. Actually cravedthem.

The Padres’ third-year skipper will get his wish soon enough.

His right fielder with an irritated nerve in his right arm started in left field some 75 miles up the road in the California League. His dynamic center fielder with the bruised ribs was headed to the Padres’ spring training complex to begin making up for lost time at the plate. If all goes well – if, Green cautioned – both Wil Myers and Manuel Margot could find themselves available this weekend in Phoenix, reigniting a question that dominated Padres storylines this spring.

What will Green do with all these outfielders?

“It’s what we wanted all along,” Green said Wednesday afternoon. “It looks hard from the outside, but that’s how you have a winning culture. When you look at championship-caliber clubs, there’s always winning players sitting on the bench. That’s what you have to get to.”

The Padres will first have to stay at 25 men on the active roster.

Re-integrating Kirby Yates on Friday will be as simple as swapping him in for one of the eight bullpen arms in the clubhouse. The return of Myers and Margot, however, will require some finagling and difficult conversations for an outfield mix that is five deep if you consider Cory Spangenberg part of that group.

An infielder by nature, Spangneberg has started more games in left field than anywhere as his OPS (on-base plus slugging) has sagged to .634 entering Wednesday. The 28-year-old Matt Szczur’s numbers are below that, further complicating his status as an out-of-options, right- handed-hitting reserve behind right-handed-hitting outfielders in Myers, Margot, Jose Pirela and Hunter Renfroe.

Franchy Cordero is the outlier in the outfield.

He’s left-handed. He’s greener than any of San Diego’s outfielders on the roster. He also may be the toolsiest, illustrated best by the fastest exit velocity (97.6 mph) among all hitters with at least 15 balls in play.

Two of Cordero’s batted balls have left the yard. The 23-year-old is also 2-for-2 on steal attempts, quick enough to cover all three outfield spots and has put together a handful of good at-bats against left-handers in the last week as the Padres made do without Myers and Margot. 5

“Those are really big at-bats,” Green said, “for a young guy who has had a lot of success against right-handed pitching in the minors – and not nearly as much against left-handers. To see him hang in there against lefties, it’s going to be big for us if he’s able to give us those at-bats over the course of the season against tough lefties.”

Of course, the original plan – as kicked around this spring – was to give Renfroe most of his starts against those left-handers, whom he’s solved to the tune of an 1.055 OPS throughout his career. Pirela, too, would bounce into second base on those occasions to spell the left-handed- hitting Carlos Asuaje and Spangenberg, but Cordero’s groin injury late in camp had tabled that blueprint.

Now that Cordero, Myers and Margot are – or will – be healthy, Asuaje could finally give way to Pirela against left-handers, who have limited the Padres’ primary second baseman to four hits in 25 at-bats in dragging his batting line down to .194/.280/.284 to start the season.

“Carlos wants to be out there and grind every day,” Green said. “He doesn’t want to sit out. You want a bunch of guys like that, but if you can put them in positions where they can succeed, they end up with better numbers, the confidence goes up and it becomes self-fulfilling. But matchups haven’t really factored into many equations for us right now, which is what we were talking about being able to do in spring training.

“You have to have guys who go out and grind when your team is beat up a little bit.”

That’s beginning to change.

A day after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts (looking), Myers homered in the third at-bat of as seven-inning test run in Lake Elsinore, perhaps the final hurdle to clear before activation this weekend in Arizona (Green has maintained that another game on Thursday with the Storm is an option). Margot, meanwhile, could be right behind him after facing Kirby Yates’ in live batting practice at Petco Park, running down fly balls in the outfield and participating in regular pre-game BP.

Up next: A flight to Peoria, Ariz., and a crash-course in timing in extended spring training games in preparation of a weekend activation, perhaps as soon as the first day of eligibility on Saturday.

“I feel great right now,” the 23-year-old Margot said Thursday afternoon. “I'll fly tonight to Arizona to start getting some at-bats. I’ll be back soon.”

Wil Myers homers in rehab game with Storm Jeff Sanders Wil Myers’ timing is beginning to resurface.

The Padres’ rehabbing first baseman homered in his third at-bat in Day 2 of his rehab with high Single-A Lake Elsinore during a 6-5 win in 10 innings over visiting Inland Empire. Myers also grounded out twice and flied out while playing seven innings in the outfield – six in left and one in right.

His home run was a two-run shot that gave the Storm (6-8) a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning. He is 1- for-7 with two strikeouts and a walk through his first two games in the California League.

The Padres had not decided as of Wednesday night if Myers would join them on the flight to Arizona or play in another rehab game on Thursday in Rancho Cucamonga.

Myers’ replacement, Nate Easley (.303), singled in the winning run in the 10th.

Right fielder Buddy Reed (.415) went 4-for-4 with two more doubles, his fifth steal and two runs scored.

Catcher Luis Torrens (.229) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Right-hander David Bednar (1-0, 6.75) struck out five over two shutout innings in relief for the win.

Right-hander Austin Smith (10.29) allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings after right- hander Reggie Lawson (1.20) allowed an unearned run in five innings in the start. Lawson struck out seven, walked two and allowed one hit.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (9-5)

• Chihuahuas 3, Reno 2: RHP Chris Huffman (1-1, 2.41) struck out three and allowed an unearned run on four hits and two walks in seven innings. RHP Trey Wingenter (14.54) allowed a run in the eighth and RHP Jonathan Aro (4.15) saved his second game with a scoreless ninth. RF Franmil Reyes (.255) tripled in a run, C Stephen McGee went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored and 1B Brett Nicholas (.375) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. 2B Luis Urias (.245) went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (4-9)

• TinCaps 7, Great Lakes 2: LHP Aaron Leasher (1-0, 2.51) struck out seven and scattered two hits and two walks over six shutout innings for his first win of the season. RHP Henry Henry (19.29) struck out a batter and walked one in a scoreless seventh. DH Luis Campusano (.250) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, C Juan Fernandez (.259) singled in two runs and 3B Justin Lopez (.238) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Also, SS Gabriel Arias (.233) went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored.

X-rays negative after Christian Villanueva plunked on hand Jeff Sanders X-rays taken on Christian Villanueva’s left hand did not reveal a fracture, Padresmanager Andy Green said after Wednesday’s loss. The Padres’ third baseman – who leads the team with six homers – was hit by pitch in the fifth inning and left the game in the seventh during a double switch.

“It feels good,” Villanueva said through an interpreter. “It hurts a little bit, but I think I'll be back Friday if everything's good.”

It was the fourth time that Villanueva has been plunked this season, one shy of the major league lead (Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant).

He’d also been plunked 63 times in 807 games in the minors, but the recent trend has the Padres considering measures to protect the 26-year-old Villanueva.

“It might be something we talk about, putting a pad on the hand,” Green said. “There’s a number of really good hitters that have that move that he has that end up getting something to protect the hand and the wrist. He’s already been hit there a few times, so we’ll have that conversation shortly.”

Villanueva extended his hitting streak to six games before exiting the game. He also walked in the game and is hitting .340/.450/.780 with 13 RBIs, six walks and 10 extra-base hits.

Padres' Hunter Renfroe thinks umpire Danley had a rough night, too Kevin Acee Hunter Renfroe walked from his fourth-inning at-bat engaged in conversation with home plate umpire Kerwin Danley.

It seemed cordial enough, Renfroe discussing the called third strike that may or may not have nicked the upper inside edge of the zone.

Three strikeouts later, Renfroe was not as genial when looking back on an 0-for-5 night in which he struck out his final four times to the plate. His swing and miss on a full count for the second out of the 10th came with the bases loaded in a game the Padres would lose 7-3 in 12 innings.

“Obviously, I don’t think some strike calls went my way,” Renfroe said. “I think they were pretty (expletive), honestly. That’s part of the game. You’re not going to be perfect.”

Renfroe said he let his team down and was disappointed in himself. But that wasn’t the only person he thought was subpar Tuesday.

Renfroe was called out on strikes twice, but a review of the strike zone graphic used on FoxSports San Diego’s broadcast and also on MLB.com shows a number of borderline calls during each of his at-bats. None appeared to be egregiously off the plate, but three of the at-bats included a strike call that could be considered questionable. And they clearly affected Renfroe’s thought process during the at-bats.

“I think it’s not necessarily the strikeout call,” Renfroe said. “It’s more in the terms of going from 1-0 to 0-1 is a huge difference. Once you get into a hitter’s count, that’s when you do your damage. When you go 0-1 in a hole, you’re like, ‘Oh crap, here we go.’ Especially when you’re going against guys like (the Dodgers) have. They have great arms and great stuff. It’s tough.

“I know I had at least three — maybe more — on me. Nothing against him. Maybe it wasn’t his night. Wasn’t my night for sure.”

Danley’s strike zone was certainly generous — although he also called several pitches balls that appeared to be strikes, especially against right-handed hitters — but it didn’t seem he discriminated.

The Dodgers struck out six times, the Padres 20.

“For me it didn’t have an effect,” Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer, who went down on strikes four times and also hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth, said of the strike zone. “I was

10 swinging through a lot of good pitches, getting a lot of good pitches to hit. … It was definitely a bigger strike zone, but I think it was pretty fair for both sides.”

First pitch: Padres want Luis Perdomo attacking Dodgers Jeff Sanders The fastball that Luis Perdomo unleashed behind Nolan Arenado’s back cost him a start — but not a full turn through the rotation.

The 24-year-old right-hander’s five-game suspension ended Tuesday, leaving him available to start Wednesday night against the Dodgers. Manager Andy Green hopes the pitcher who won in Houston and started well in Colorado is up to the task in the series finale.

“I thought the game in Houston he attacked very, very well,” Green said Wednesday afternoon. He attacked (the third) guy in (Colorado’s) lineup in the last game in Colorado, too, so it ended up being a short outing for him. I think we feel good about his work in between. He’s had two bullpens. He threw the ball really well in his last bullpen. Everybody was excited about where he was at.

“Now it’s go out and pitch well against a great lineup.”

The Dodgers — and Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal, in particular — have already battered Padres pitching to take the first two games of the series.

They’ve had their way with Perdomo over the years, too.

Current Los Angeles hitters have a .323/.352/.545 batting line against Perdomo, with Corey Seager hitting .389 over 18 plate appearances and Grandal smashing two homers in 11 at-bats.

Perdomo is 1-4 with a 8.40 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 11 walks in 30 innings against Los Angeles. Those numbers are inflated by a disastrous MLB debut as a Rule 5 pick (1 IP, 6 ER), but Perdomo allowed five runs in six innings in loss in last year’s lone start against Los Angeles.

Scroll down for a bit more on Perdomo’s season to date, as well as a look at today’s opposing pitcher.

Around the water cooler

• Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee has the latest on right-hander Kirby Yates (ankle), who threw live batting practice before Wednesday’s game against Chase Headley and Manuel Margot (ribs). The latter could come off the DL as soon before the end of the Diamondbacks series after flying to Peoria tonight to get at-bats in extended spring training.

• Also, both Hunter Renfroe and the Dodgers weren’t happy with Tuesday’s strike zone, while the Green’s bullpen has been good but overly relied upon.

PITCHING MATCHUP | Dodgers at Padres Game 3: 7:10 p.m. Wednesday

Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (1-1, 2.08 ERA)

• This is Maeda’s fourth straight appearance against an NL West opponent. He has 14 strikeouts against three walks through his first 8 2/3 innings, but allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings last week against Arizona. He went 1-2 with a 5.85 ERA in five games (four starts) last year against San Diego.

Padres RHP Luis Perdomo (1-, 4.91 ERA)

• He was suspended the last five games for throwing behind Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado last week in Colorado. Perdomo has struck out 13, walked seven and allowed 16 hits – no homers – in his first 11 innings of the season. RHP Tyson Ross, the previously scheduled pitcher, will now start Friday in Arizona.

On deck

• Up next: The Padres are off Thursday. Their run through NL West opponents will then continue with three games in Arizona and then three more games in Colorado.

Padres notes: Headley hits; Green upset with rules; Margot faces Yates Kevin Acee Chase Headley slid into second base safely and, still kneeling on the bag, clapped his hands together and let out a yell.

It has been a frustrating start to his 11th major league season, back with his original team.

Relegated to being a fill-in position player and pinch-hitter, the 34-year-old Headley entered Tuesday night batting .038 with 13 strikeouts in 26 at-bats.

In a game in which Padres hitters struck out 20 times and lost 7-3 in 12 innings, Headley’s ninth-inning at-bat that yielded a game-tying double was the highlight — and perhaps the irony — of the night.

Headley watched two strikes go by, fouled off a third pitch and took three balls. He then lined a cut fastball from Kenley Jansen to right field, scoring Franchy Cordero and tying the game 3-3.

“That’s Chase being a solid veteran right there,” Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “Obviously, he’s going to break through. A tough at bat off Kenley, especially getting down early. He battled the whole way.”

Headley wore the relief plainly, if obscured by the disappointment of the game result he had tried to make different.

“It was a great moment,” he said. “It hasn’t, obviously, been the start I was looking for. To come up in that situation and get it done felt good.”

He has been candid about how challenging it has been to adjust from being an everyday player to a role player and how he has worked to understand and adapt.

“It’s a long season,’ he said late Tuesday night. “It’s easy to get caught up in the moment to moment and really overthink things and try too hard. But that was a good situation to be able to come through.”

Speaking of calls Hunter Renfroe didn’t like home plate umpire Kerwin Danley’s strike zone during Tuesday’s game.

Manager Andy Green was more upset with the rules after a call by Danley, which was not allowed to be challenged or reviewed by video.

With runner at first and second with no outs in the sixth inning, Jose Pirela chopped a ball in front of home plate that bounced up and hit him. Danley ruled Pirela was out of the box when the ball hit him and called him out.

Pirela was actually hit twice, the first time coming when he was in the box, which meant the proper call would have been a foul ball. Green asked the umpires to confer. They did, but they did not change the call.

“Why Major League Baseball can’t figure out why that should be reviewable is a joke,” Green said. “Personally, that’s very frustrating. The ball hit a guy in the batter’s box. Everybody knows it except the four guys on the field (and) they want to look at it. … That thing needs to be reviewable. That’s such an easy thing to be able to go to the monitor.”

Freddy felt fine Freddy Galvis, whose .392 on-base percentage leads the Padres, came up limping slightly after reaching base on a fielder’s choice attempt in the sixth. He spent several minutes stretching his hamstring and jogging, and Green and trainer Mark Rogow went out to check on him.

He told Green after the game he was fine, and he was in the lineup for Wednesday night’s game.

Galvis was one of five major leaguers to play all 162 regular season games last season.

Working back Many roster moves are imminent for a team hit hard by injury.

While right fielder Wil Myers is up the road in Lake Elsinore preparing for his second game of a rehab assignment, center fielder Manuel Margot was taking live batting practice for the first time before Wednesday’s game.

Pitching to him was reliever Kirby Yates, who has been on the disabled list with ankle tendonitis since April 8 and is eligible to be activated Thursday. The Padres have said consistently they expect Yates to be ready to play Friday in Arizona.

That could also be the case for Myers, depending on how his arm feels after Wednesday’s game with the Single-A team.

The expectation is that Margot, hit in the ribs by a pitch on April 10, could do a brief rehab stint before joining the team on its upcoming trip.

Perdomo's rough return raises future questions Right-hander's struggles could lead to Triple-A stint By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell 12:07 AM ET

SAN DIEGO -- Over three big league seasons, Luis Perdomo has 324 innings and 53 starts to his name, but he's never thrown a pitch at any upper level of the Minors.

Evidently, the early returns from his 2018 season will prompt discussions in the Padres' front office as to whether a move to Triple-A El Paso might be best for his development.

In Wednesday's finale of a three-game sweep at the hands of the rival Dodgers, Perdomo was knocked around for nine runs (seven earned) over three innings in the worst start of his young career. The Padres lost, 13-4, calling upon their resilient yet beleaguered bullpen once again. For the fifth time in seven days, they asked for at least six innings out of their relievers.

That stretch began a week ago in Colorado, when Perdomo was ejected for throwing behind Nolan Arenado and sparking a benches-clearing kerfuffle. Even without that game, Perdomo has averaged four innings per start this season. His ERA shot to 8.36 on Wednesday night, as he returned from his five-game suspension.

On Wednesday, both Perdomo and manager Andy Green were asked whether the suspension and hoopla surrounding it affected Perdomo's performance.

"Whether it did or it didn't, it can't," Green said. "This is Major League Baseball. You've got to pitch better than that."

Said Perdomo: "I don't want to put any excuse on it. I just have to keep working hard, take advantage of the opportunity and come back and get that rhythm."

That big league opportunity is far from a guarantee. The Padres are unwavering in their belief in Perdomo; they have been since they swiped his rights from the Cardinals in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft.

Thing is, Perdomo's status as a Rule 5 player prevented further Minor League development. Perdomo was an A-ball starter one year. He was in the Padres' rotation the next, and he's managed to stay afloat in that role ever since.

"We've done a lot to try to give him every opportunity to be successful at this level, and he's given effort, man," Green said. "He cares. He's doing everything he possibly can. He's working hard. It's just not happening, and at some point in time, we've got to re-evaluate the situation, try to figure out what's best for us."

Perdomo's next start could very well come with Triple-A El Paso. Should the Padres decide on that, the move could come in short order with reliever Kirby Yates and outfielder Wil Myers due back from the disabled list. (They wouldn't need a starter until Tuesday in Colorado.)

Fans have clamored for No. 13 prospect Eric Lauer, who has a 3.00 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning with Triple-A El Paso this season. That's a distinct possibility. Another is fellow southpaw Robbie Erlin, who took Perdomo's place while he was suspended but has spent the rest of the year in the bullpen.

"We've been talking about a competitive culture all through Spring Training, all the way into the season," Green said. "We intend to give guys opportunities that are rising up and taking advantage, like Joey Lucchesi, guys that are showing well. We have a number of young guys that we like in the organization. I'm sure the conversation will be forthcoming here soon as to what's our best move."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED No help for the weary: Perdomo found himself in instant trouble on Wednesday night when he put three of four men on base to start the game. The next batter, Matt Kemp, bounced a weak chopper to third base, where it was fielded by Christian Villanueva. At the plate, Villanueva has been red-hot, and he reached base three more times on Wednesday. But he's slumped defensively. His throw skipped away, and two runs scored on the play, giving the Dodgers an early 3-0 lead.

, 2018 Hard contact: The Padres clawed two runs back in the bottom of the second inning, but Perdomo couldn't hold Los Angeles in check. The first five batters he faced in the third all reached base via hits with exit velocities of 95 mph or harder. The last of those five hits was a three-run homer from Max Muncy, which gave the Dodgers a 9-2 lead.

"There wasn't a sink to the fastball," Green said. "The stuff that usually gets hit on the ground was getting hit to the gaps."

WRIST PROTECTION COMING FOR VILLANUEVA Evidently, Villanueva has a penchant for being plunked. He took a 93 mph fastball off his left hand in the top of the fifth inning. Villanueva remained in the game for a couple frames, before he was double switched out of the lineup.

Postgame X-rays were negative on Villanueva, and he expects to be in the lineup on Friday. In the meantime, Green said he'd be discussing wrist protection for Villanueva, whose first step inward exposes his hands over the inside of the batter's box. He has been hit by four pitches this season. Only Kris Bryanthas more.

"I was talking about [a pad on the hand] pretty recently with the training staff when they were looking at me," Villanueva said. "I'm thinking a glove with some sort of protection."

HE SAID IT "I'm always pitching for [my job]. Things didn't go well in the game. All I can do is go out there and keep working." -- Perdomo

UP NEXT While the rest of baseball has dealt with weather-related postponements over the past three weeks, the Padres mercifully conclude their stretch of 17 games in 17 days with an extremely taxed bullpen. After an off-day Thursday, they open a three-game series in Arizona on Friday,

17 with Tyson Ross on the mound. It's possible Myers (nerve irritation in his right arm) will return from injury.

Headley adjusting to decreased playing time Third baseman has fallen to No. 3 on Padres' depth chart; Myers rehabbing in left field; Yates expected back Friday By AJ Cassavell MLB.com @AJCassavell Apr. 18th, 2018

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres traded for Chase Headley in December, fully expecting him to serve as their regular third baseman. According to plan, Headley started on Opening Day. He hasn't done much of it since.

Headley found himself mired in a 1-for-26 slump to start the year before Tuesday's game-tying pinch-hit double against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. He's No. 3 on the Padres' depth chart, behind Christian Villanueva and Cory Spangenberg.

Even without Headley's slow start, Villanueva has made it practically impossible for the Padres to give Headley playing time. Villanueva's off to a torrid start to his rookie campaign, batting .327 with a National League-leading .776 slugging percentage entering play Wednesday.

"There's enough to worry about in this game, and really, what I'm trying to do is control what I can control," Headley said. "I understand why things are the way they are, and it's for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Villa is playing great. Second of all, where the organization is, it makes some sense to see those guys play."

Headley is in the final year of his contract, and he almost certainly won't factor into the club's plans after this year. He was brought on board largely because the Padres' taking on his salary allowed them to acquire right-hander Bryan Mitchell as well.

Even Headley, whose .352 on-base percentage last season would've led the '17 Padres, probably couldn't have envisioned a start like this. His struggles have coupled with a complete absence of a path to playing time.

"Going out there and worrying about getting three hits so I can be in there the next day is just counterproductive," Headley said. "I just don't worry the way I used to worry. Who knows how many years, how many games I have left to play. But I'm going to enjoy it and give what I have to give, and know that if I do what I need to do to get ready, then I can live with the results.

"I certainly think I can still play. I think I can thrive as an everyday player, and I think I can thrive as a pinch-hitter, too. But worrying about it gets you nowhere."

. 15th, 2018 Even from the bench, Headley feels there's a mindset he can impart. That was particularly evident in the at-bat he pieced together against Jansen. On a night the Padres tied their franchise strikeout record, Headley laid off three straight tantalizing cutters just outside the zone. After working the count full, he got a hittable pitch at the top of the zone, and he promptly tied the game.

Padres manager Andy Green touted the impact Headley can still have on a young -- and perhaps swing-happy -- lineup. 19

"He does lay off pitches very, very well," Green said. "He's got plate discipline, it's always been a really good attribute for him -- and now for us."

Myers rehabs in LF Wil Myers made his second consecutive rehab start for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore on Wednesday night. After serving as designated hitter on Tuesday, Myers started in left field Wednesday -- despite the fact that he played right field exclusively before he hit the disabled list with nerve irritation in his right arm.

Upon his return, Myers will shift between right and left field, depending upon who the Padres use as their other corner outfielder. (Hunter Renfroe would play right, while Jose Pirela would play left.) Green noted that the decision had nothing to do with the extra strain placed on the arm of a right fielder.

"We're conscious of the throwing program we're creating for him … to put him in an ideal health position for the rest of the season," Green said. "But we're not openly concerned that this is going to sneak back up."

Yates' return imminent? Righty reliever Kirby Yates pitched a simulated inning on Wednesday afternoon and felt no effects of the right-ankle tendinitis that landed him on the disabled list.

Assuming no further setbacks, Yates is expected to be activated Friday when the Padres open a three-game series in Arizona.

Should Myers and Yates both be activated, it's possible two relievers will be optioned to clear space. The Padres have two off-days in the next eight and could downsize to a seven-man 'pen.

Stammen and Co. extend scoreless streaks Padres tie strikeout record; Villanueva extends streak By Bill Center San Diego Padres Apr. 18th, 2018

Craig Stammen pitched another scoreless inning Tuesday night against the Dodgers and has now worked 11 1/3 scoreless innings this season without allowing a run.

But he's not the only Padres reliever who is on a scoreless-innings streak.

Phil Maton has yet to allow a run over 6 1/3 innings covering six appearances since being recalled from Triple-A El Paso on April 4.

Brad Hand has made six straight scoreless appearances covering six innings while lowering his ERA to 1.80.

And Jordan Lyles has worked five straight scoreless innings after logging two Tuesday night. Lyles has been unscored upon in seven of his eight appearances with a 1.46 ERA.

Stammen's scoreless-innings streak is the longest among relievers in 2018 and is the longest by a Padre to open a season since Tim Stauffer went 15 1/3 straight scoreless innings to open the '10 season.

Stammen has retired 33 of the 36 batters he has faced.

NOTEBOOK:

• The Padres tied a franchise record Tuesday night with their 20 strikeouts in an extra-inning game. The mark was originally set on June 19, 2001, in a 15-inning game against the San Francisco Giants. Dodgers pitchers struck out the side three times Tuesday night (the first, fourth and eighth innings) and struck out Hunter Renfroe and Christian Villanueva in consecutive at-bats with the bases-loaded and one out in the 10th. Renfroe and Eric Hosmer each struck out four times and the top five hitters in the order struck out 15 times in 25 at-bats.

• Villanueva did get a hit in four at-bats to extend his hitting streak to a fifth straight game. Villanueva is 9-for-16 during the streak with two doubles, three homers, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

• Wil Myers was 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his first rehab game with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Tuesday night. He was the Storm's designated hitter.

Minor League Matters: Who's turning heads in Class AA? By Melissa Lockard

Last week, we introduced Minor League Matters with a look at early performers in Class AAA. This week, we head to the Class AA level, where several top prospects are opening eyes in the early parts of the 2018 season. All stats good through April 18.

Texas League (Reports by Melissa Lockard) 1B Josh Naylor San Antonio Missions (Padres) Ht/Wt: 5-11/250 lbs. B/T: L/L DOB: June 22, 1997 Season Stats: 43 AB, .395/.491/.837, 17 H, 11 R, 1 2B, 6 HR, 15 RBI It took a few years, but Naylor appears to be rounding into the hitter the Marlins thought he would be when they selected him 12th overall in the 2015 draft out of St. Joan of Arc High School in Ontario, Canada. The stocky slugger came to the Padres in 2016 as part of the deal that sent Andrew Cashner to the Marlins. He has been red-hot since the start of the season, and he earned season’s first Texas League Player of the Week honors on Monday. Naylor got a taste of the Texas League last season when he appeared in 42 games with the Missions. He hit only .250/.320/.346, although he was one of the youngest players in the league at 20 years old. This season, Naylor – who won’t turn 21 until June 22 – has been locked in at the plate. Not only is he showing off his prodigious power, but he has also been very selective, walking nine times against six strikeouts. Naylor had some growing up to do early in his pro career, and he had a highly publicized incident that had some questioning his make-up. He appears to be gaining maturity, and that seems to be translating to a more consistent day-to-day approach. Naylor’s focus from at-bat to at-bat is improved and, if that holds throughout the season, he could put up monster numbers. Naylor has been deemed a “bad body” player by scouts, although he moves well for a player his size. He projects to be limited to first base in the big leagues, although the Padres are trying him out in left field this season to see if they can find another position for him, with first base set to be occupied in San Diego by Eric Hosmer for many years to come. Naylor’s physique and powerful, left-handed swing have drawn Prince Fielder comps, and he could have some 30-40 home run seasons in him down the road. In the near term, Naylor should be inline for a midseason promotion to Class AAA if he continues to show power and patience at the plate.

Muncy homers, Maeda fans 10 in Dodgers' 13-4 win over Padres

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• comment SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers roughed up the San Diego Padres in sweeping a three-game series, and newcomer Max Muncy got in on the action in a big way. Muncy homered for the first time since 2016, Corey Seager had four hits and three RBI and Kenta Maeda struck out 10 for the Dodgers, who beat the San Diego Padres 13-4 Wednesday night. ADVERTISEMENT The Dodgers extended their season-high winning streak to four and outscored the Padres 30-10 in the series.

Muncy, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, hit a two-run homer to left to cap a five- run outburst with no outs in the third inning against Luis Perdomo that gave the Dodgers a 9-2 lead. Chase Utley was aboard on a two-run double that followed Joc Pederson's RBI single. Muncy's last homer came with Oakland in 2016, when he hit two. He spent all of 2017 in Triple-A.

"It always nice to get the first of anything out of the way, whether it's your hit or home run or even a play in the field," said Muncy, who signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in April 2017. "It kind of gets the butterflies out of your stomach and jitters gone."

The Dodgers' offense is "pretty impressive," he said. "It's fun to be a part of it."

Said manager Dave Roberts: "When you're scoring the runs we are and we're stressing their pitcher, our pitchers are attacking guys. When we're on the offensive, getting guys on base, running the bases well, it just breeds energy. The energy goes to another level and we play our best."

The Padres struck out 13 times. On Tuesday night, they struck out 20 times in a 7-3, 12-inning loss, tying the club record set in a 15-inning game in 2001.

Maeda (2-1) allowed four runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, his longest outing of the season. He matched the 10 strikeouts he had in his first start, a win against San Francisco on March 31. He walked two.

Maeda walked Austin Hedges with the bases loaded in the second, then allowed Perdomo's sacrifice fly. He allowed Carlos Asuaje's two-run double in the third. The Dodgers scored three runs in the first, including two on third baseman Christian Villanueva's throwing error on Matt Kemp's infield single and Cody Bellinger's RBI single. Seager hit an RBI single in the second. Perdomo (1-2, 8.36 ERA) is in danger of pitching himself out of the rotation. He was gone after allowing nine runs, seven earned, on 10 hits in three innings. He struck out four and walked two.

He was coming off a five-game suspension for throwing behind Colorado's Nolan Arenado and inciting a brawl on April 11. "I think I'm always pitching for that," Perdomo said of his job. "Things didn't go well today in the game and all I can do is just go out there and keep working."

Manager Andy Green said the staff and front office will discuss Perdomo's future. One of San Diego's top pitching prospects, lefty Joey Lucchesi, is already up with the big league club and there's been talk that lefty Eric Lauer could be the next to be promoted. "We've done a lot to give him every opportunity to be successful at this level," Green said of Perdomo. "He's giving effort. He cares. He does everything he possibly can. He's working hard. It's just not happening. We've got to reevaluate the situation and what's best for us.

"We've been talking about a competitive culture and we intend to give guys opportunities. We have a number of young guys we like in the organization. I'm sure the conversation will be forthcoming here soon as to what's our best move."

Los Angeles added on in the late innings. Yasmani Grandal hit an RBI double in the eighth while Pederson had a two-run double and Yasiel Puig an RBI single in the ninth. ODD MOMENT

Pederson, the Dodgers' left fielder, leaped against the wall along the line in an attempt to catch Carlos Asuaje's foul ball in the seventh. He had it in his glove for a split second but it popped out when he came down. Appearing angry, Pederson picked it up and flung it all the way into the third deck. Pederson appeared to be distracted by a fan and umpires reviewed the play for possible fan interference, but ruled there was none.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: Placed LHP Rich Hill on the 10-day disabled list with an inflamed middle finger, retroactive to Sunday, and recalled LH reliever Adam Liberatore from Triple-A Oklahoma City. UP NEXT

Dodgers: With Hill going on the DL, the Dodgers are considering whether to move LHP Clayton up a day to oppose Washington RHP Max Scherzer or bring up someone from the minors. Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (2-1, 3.50) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Arizona. 24

Muncy homers, Maeda fans 10 in

Dodgers' 13-4 win over Padres 11:57 PM PT Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers roughed up the San Diego Padres in sweeping a three-game series, and newcomer Max Muncy got in on the action in a big way.

Muncy homered for the first time since 2016, Corey Seager had four hits and three RBI and Kenta Maeda struck out 10 for the Dodgers, who beat the San Diego Padres 13-4 Wednesday night.

The Dodgers extended their season-high winning streak to four and outscored the Padres 30-10 in the series.

The Dodgers' offense is "pretty impressive," he said. "It's fun to be a part of it."

The Padres struck out 13 times. On Tuesday night, they struck out 20 times in a 7-3, 12-inning loss, tying the club record set in a 15-inning game in 2001.

Maeda walked Austin Hedges with the bases loaded in the second, then allowed Perdomo's sacrifice fly. He allowed Carlos Asuaje's two-run double in the third.

The Dodgers scored three runs in the first, including two on third baseman Christian Villanueva's throwing error on Matt Kemp's infield single and Cody Bellinger's RBI single. Seager hit an RBI single in the second.

Perdomo (1-2, 8.36 ERA) is in danger of pitching himself out of the rotation. He was gone after allowing nine runs, seven earned, on 10 hits in three innings. He struck out four and walked two.

He was coming off a five-game suspension for throwing behind Colorado's Nolan Arenado and inciting a brawl on April 11.

"I think I'm always pitching for that," Perdomo said of his job. "Things didn't go well today in the game and all I can do is just go out there and keep working."

"We've done a lot to give him every opportunity to be successful at this level," Green said of Perdomo. "He's giving effort. He cares. He does everything he possibly can. He's working hard. It's just not happening. We've got to reevaluate the situation and what's best for us.

Los Angeles added on in the late innings. Yasmani Grandal hit an RBI double in the eighth while Pederson had a two-run double and Yasiel Puig an RBI single in the ninth. ODD MOMENT

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: Placed LHP Rich Hill on the 10-day disabled list with an inflamed middle finger, retroactive to Sunday, and recalled LH reliever Adam Liberatore from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: With Hill going on the DL, the Dodgers are considering whether to move LHP Clayton up a day to oppose Washington RHP Max Scherzer or bring up someone from the minors.

Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (2-1, 3.50) is scheduled to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Arizona.

This Day in Padres History — April 19

By Bill Center

April 19, 1982 — Catcher Terry Kennedy was 4-for-5 with three doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored as the Padres defeated the Giants 13–6 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

April 19, 1997 — The Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of three games played in the Paradise Series at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii — marking the second straight season that the Padres opened a new frontier for Major League Baseball. The Cardinals won two of the three games.

April 19, 2002 — First baseman Ryan Klesko was 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs in the Padres 10–9 loss at Colorado.

April 19, 2010 — Second baseman David Eckstein hits a walk-off homer in the 10th to give the Padres a 3–2 win over San Francisco at Petco Park. It is Eckstein’s only home run of his final season.

April 19, 2017 — Shortstop Erick Aybar hits an eighth-inning homer off Zack Greinke to give the Padres a 1–0 win over Arizona at Petco Park. Right-handers Jhoulys Chacin and Brandon Maurer combine on four-hit shutout. Chacin allows three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in eight innings. It is the Padres’ 20th, 1–0 win at Petco Park but only the third decided by a home run.

Myers Homers on Rehab; Reed Continues Surge; Pitchers Sharp

By Bill Center

Padres outfielder Wil Myers hit a two-run homer in four at-bats Wednesday night while playing left field on his rehab assignment with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore.

But center fielder Buddy Reed stole the show with a second career-game in as many days.

Reed, 22, the Padres’ second-round pick in the 2016 draft, was 4-for-4 Wednesday with two doubles, a stolen base and two runs scored. Over the past two games, Reed has gone 8-for-9 with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored. Reed is now hitting .415.

The other top performances in the Padres system Wednesday were turned in by pitchers:

— Right-hander Chris Huffman, 25, held Reno to an unearned run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over seven innings for Triple-A El Paso. Huffman is 1–1 with a 2.41 earned run average.

— Right-hander Reggie Lawson, 20, allowed an unearned run on one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts for Lake Elsinore, lowering his ERA to 1.20.

— Left-hander Aaron Leasher (1–0, 2.51 ERA) allowed two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over six shutout innings for Single-A Fort Wayne.

Catcher Luis Campusano, who was the TinCaps designated hitter Wednesday, was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored for Fort Wayne. Campusano, 19, the Padres’ second-round draft pick last June and ranked the club’s №24 prospect, is hitting .250.

Around the Farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (9–5): Chihuahuas 3, RENO 2 — RHP Trey Wingenter(14.54 ERA) followed Huffman and allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Jonathan Aro (4.15) issued a walk with a strikeout in an otherwise perfect inning to record his second save. C Stephen McGee (.200) and 1B Brett Nicholas (.375) were each was 2-for-4 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. 2B Luis Urías (.245) was 1-for-4 with a RBI. RF Franmil Reyes(.255)

28 had a RBI triple in four at-bats. CF Travis Jankowski (.234) was 1-for-3 with a walk. 3B Diego Goris (.325) had a double in four at-bats with a run scored.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (7–5): The Missions were off Wednesday.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (6–8): STORM 6, Inland Empire 5 (10 innings) — C Luis Torrens (.229) backed Reed and Myers, going 3-fotr-4 with a double and a RBI. 3B Hudson Potts (.320) had a double and a RBI in four at-bats. DH Jorge Oña (.209) had a double in four at-bats with a run scored. RF Nate Easley (.303) was 1-for-1 with a RBI. 1B Brad Zunica (.209) had a double in two at-bats with two walks and a run scored. RHP Austin Smith (10.29 ERA) followed Lawson and allowed four runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Gerardo Reyes (1.29) allowed a hit and three walks with a strikeout in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. RHP David Bednar (1–0, 6.75) allowed a hit with five strikeouts in two scoreless innings to get the win.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (4–9): TIN CAPS 7, Great Lakes 2 — RHP Henry Henry (19.29 ERA) followed Leasher and issued a walk with a strikeout in an otherwise perfect inning. LHP Ben Sheckler (6.17) gave up two runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings. 3B Justin Lopez (.238) backed Campusano, going 2-for-4 with a RBI. C Juan Fernandez (.259) was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. SS Gabriel Arias (.233) was 1-for-4 with a walk, a RBI and two runs scored. CF Tirso Ornelas (.262) and RF Tre Carter (.235) were each 1-for- 3 with a walk and a run scored. LF Jack Suwinski (.200) was 0-for-1 with three walks and a run scored.

#PadresOnDeck: Naylor, Ruiz, Olivares, Guerra win Padres’ weekly honors

By Bill Center

A member of the MLB Pipeline Team of the Week, two other Padres’ Top-30 prospects and a former Top-30 pick who is improving with age are 2018’s inaugural Padres On Deck Players of the Week from the Padres’ minor league system.

Double-A San Antonio’s Josh Naylor was named a member of the MLB Pipeline Team of the Week and leads all minor leaguers with six home runs and 37 total bases. He doubles as the Missions Player of the Week.

Shortstop Javy Guerra, who was once ranked as high as the Padres’ №2 prospect, is the Player of the Week with Triple-A EL Paso.

Other honorees are outfielder Edward Olivares (Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore) and second baseman Esteury Ruiz (Single-A Fort Wayne).

The first week Players of the Week:

Shortstop Javy Guerra (Triple-A El Paso) — The left-handed-hitting Guerra, 22, was 12-for-36 (.333) for the Chihuahuas first 11 games with three home runs and 11 RBIs. He has five multi-hit games. Guerra leads El Paso in homers and RBIs and leads the Pacific Coast League with three triples. He has a .415 on-base percentage and a .806 slugging percentage for a 1.220 OPS. Acquired from the Red Sox with Manuel Margot, Carlos Asuaje and left-handed pitcher Logan Allen for closer Craig Kimbrell on Nov. 13, 2015.

First baseman-outfielder Josh Naylor (Double-A San Antonio) — Naylor, 20, has played three games in left as well as first base for the Missions. He is off to a 17-for-36 start with a double, six home runs, seven walks (against only five strikeouts) and a stolen base. He has hit safely in nine of San Antonio’s first 10 games with six multi-hit games. He also has a .545 on-base percentage with a 1.000 slugging percentage for a 1.545 OPS. The 5-foot-11, 250-pound Canadian is fast for a man of his size with an inside-the-park homer and a stolen base.

Outfielder Edward Olivares (Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore) — The 6-foot-2, 186-pound, 22- year-old Venezuelan was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays with right-handed reliever Jared Carkuff for third baseman Yangervis Solarte last Jan. 6. He went 15-for-37 (.405) with two doubles and two home runs for four runs scored and five RBIs in his first 11 games in the Padres system. Olivares has a .452 on-base percentage with a .622 slugging percentage for a 1.074 OPS. Olivares is 10-for-16 with a homer over his past four games.

Second baseman Esteury Ruiz (Single-A Fort Wayne) — The Padres acquired the 19-year-old Ruiz from Kansas City last summer with pitchers Matt Strahmand Travis Wood in the trade that sent pitchers Trevor Cahill, Brandon Maurer and Ryan Buchter. He was the Most Valuable Player last summer in the Arizona Rookie League. The 6-foot, 150-pounder. He is off to a 8-for-32 start with the TinCaps with two doubles, a triple and a home run for five runs scored and five RBIs.

Andy’s Address, 4/18 Andy Addresses Padres improving health, Perdomo, taxed bullpen, clutch hitting, strikeouts

By Bill Center

The Padres are getting healthier.

Outfielder Wil Myers is on a rehab assignment with Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore. Relief pitcher Kirby Yates threw batting practice to center fielder Manuel Margot Wednesday afternoon. All three could return from the disabled list this weekend in Arizona.

Padres manager Andy Green spent part of Wednesday’s pre-game media session discussing the trio and the Padres hopes once they return.

“Yates felt fine after throwing live batting practice to Margot,” said Green “My expectation is that if Kirby (Yates) feels fine tomorrow, he’ll probably be activated and ready to go in Arizona. Margot is here with us today going through work. He’ll travel to Arizona tonight and he’ll get a lot of at-bats in our extended (spring training) program (in Peoria) over the next few days.”

“If everything is going well, we might look to activate Margot toward the end of the Arizona series.

“Myers played yesterday. I spoke to (manager) Edwin (Rodriguez) in Lake Elsinore. Edwin said Wil is moving around well and threw the ball very well in early work. He didn’t play in the field, DH’d and had four at-bats, walked once, lined out once and had two strike outs. His timing from what I hear was just a little bit off. That’s understandable. He’ll be out there today. I think he’s got seven innings today.”

Having Myers and Margot back in the outfield will give the Padres their first opportunity to deploy the outfield depth they had during spring training — including using Jose Pirela at second against tough left-handed pitchers — before Franchy Cordero got hurt.

“It was always the plan to get Pirela in at second base against tough left-handed pitchers,” said Green “Our lineup changes drastically if you look at what guys do against left-handed pitching . . . if you’re looking at Myers and Margot out there and Pirela at second and a couple of our lefties taking days off there, we’re a much better ballclub.”

“Games change a lot when you have two more guys who are ideally suited to face the pitcher you are facing that day. We’re looking forward to it. And when we do get Myers and Margot back, you’ll start to see Pirela bounce into the infield a little bit.”

“It’s what we wanted all along. It looks hard from the outside, but that’s how you have a winning culture. When you look at championship caliber clubs, there are always really good baseball players sitting on the bench. That’s what you have to get to.”

“Guys will get days off. They’ll be rested. They won’t be run into the ground. When you have 17 straight games, you won’t have to look at somebody and say, ‘Hey, you’re playing all 17.’ You can strategically pick a matchup that’s not ideal for somebody and give them that day off. Wil coming back off an injury after being off 10 or 11 days, it’s probably not smart to run him out there for 20 straight days. If he’s really hitting, we might still do that. We’d like the option of being able to say, ‘Hey, this is not your best matchup, it’s a good day to take off,’ and handle everybody that way. We haven’t been able to do that. I don’t see it as difficult. I see it as a huge advantage getting back to full health.”

Green said Myers’ nerve issue in his right arm wasn’t really a throwing issue.

“Myers arm issue was completely unrelated to throwing,” said Green. “It was something that happened when he was swinging. No one felt it was throwing specific. Potentially, he’ll play some left. He’ll play some right. He’ll play part of the game tonight at Lake Elsinore in left where it’s an incredibly tough sun in right, so he’ll be out in left today.”

“We’re still looking at him playing both, it just hasn’t happened that way. We’re conscious of the throwing program we’re creating for him and what we want him to do to put him in an ideal health situation for the entire season. We’re not overly concerned that this is going to sneak back up because of throwing.”

Green discussed right-hander Luis Perdomo, who is coming off a five-game suspension to make his first start since April 11 in Colorado.

“I’m not worried at all about Perdomo being over-amped,” said Green. “I just want to see him go out and execute. I thought the game in Houston he attacked very, very well. He attacked the last game in Colorado, too, but that being a short outing for him. I think we feel good about his work in between. He’s had two bullpens and he threw the ball very well in his last bullpen. Everyone is very excited about where he’s at. And now it’s go out and pitch well against a very good lineup.”

Green said the Padres have bullpen availability Wednesday night although Tuesday night’s game went 12 innings

“Most guys in the bullpen are available,” said Green. “Most guys you’d love to see be able to rest. I’d love to see Perdomo go seven or eight and then give it to (Craig) Stammen and (Brad) Hand and move on from there. That would be the ideal situation. If that doesn’t happen, we have

enough arms to get through the game today. But the expectation is we’re going to profit quite a bit from tomorrow’s off day.”

Green was then asked about clutch hits.

“The big hits are relative,” he started. “Eric Hosmer’s homer in the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen is a big hit. Another ball was robbed from being a home run, a huge hit that would have tied the game. (Chase) Headley’s double down the line against Jansen with two outs and two strikes and a runner on third base was a big hit. The two walks we took in that 10th inning, those were good at-bats. Freddy’s (Galvis) at-bat was a good at-bat.

“Then we had a couple bad at-bats in crucial situations. There were a lot of big at-bats and you can’t just look at it as ‘Hey, they didn’t get the big hit to win the game.’ There were a lot of really good things you have to take from that game and build on and literally add one more big play.”

“I think we can look back over the course of our season and say we’ve been right there against very good teams, time and time again. This team could have four or five more wins right now if that last hit comes. That last hit just a matter of controlling the emotions It’s just a matter of putting the ball in the air to center field It’s not even a hit, it’s a sacrifice fly.”

“I think all you can do is to continue to give yourself opportunities to win baseball games. If you put yourself in that position, you are going to come out ahead in the long run.”

“Twenty strikeouts are too many. You aren’t going to win many games if you strikeout that much. I don’t know if it was seven or eight walks Tuesday, we like that. There was patience in key situations. Franchy’s (Cordero) walk off Jansen before he steals a base and ends up scoring the tying run, that’s a great at-bat.”

“What happens to us often times is these guys are aware how they are being attacked. They know if it is going to be fastball up and breaking ball down. The awareness for a lot of young hitters causes them to attack that rather than just concede that. And the ability to concede that and stay stubborn for what you’re looking for.”

“You can say it over and over, but it clicks with different people at different points in time in their career when they understand ‘this is what I’m getting, but it’s not what I am looking for and that’s not what I want.’”

Eventually, pitchers make mistakes. But if you are chasing Alex Wood below the zone all day because that’s what he’s going to throw, it’s going to be a long day. That’s why he’s an All-Star. That’s where we’ve been time and time again. It’s time to get over that hump. That conversation is happening on a daily basis, now it’s a matter of taking action in the batter’s box.

“Experience is a great teacher. In Hunter Renfroe’s case, I think four of five days ago he hits a two-run homer in a pivotal situation to win a baseball game for us. The majority of Hunter’s hits tend to come in big situations. He’s done that a lot for us, he’s had a lot of really big hits.”

“The nature of baseball is when you’re in those situations, you don’t come through 100 percent of the time. You want to come through at a higher clip than we’re coming through at, but you have to leave room for failure because otherwise the weight of expectations is too much to even perform at times . . . when you expect to be perfect every time.”

“What you want is to compete, to have the right mindset and you can dissect that afterwards and try to take a step forward because of that. Experience is great, but a kid can come up from Triple- A and put together a huge at-bat in a pivotal situation and win a baseball game just as easy as a veteran can.”

Takeaways from the Padres’ 13-4 loss

John Horvath

FOX Sports San Diego

Apr 19, 2018 at 2:20a ET

SAN DIEGO– The Dodgers completed the sweep of the Padres on Wednesday night, winning the series finale 13-4. Los Angeles moved to 8-9 on the season while San Diego fell to 7-13.

Here are three takeaways from tonight’s game:

Myers, Margot, Yates not too far off

Three key Padres who have been sidelined by injury may be returning very soon.

Wil Myers (right elbow) played in the second game of his rehab assignment tonight, going 1-4 with a home run and two RBI. If all continues to go well, he will be activated and ready to go on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Manuel Margot (ribs) faced Kirby Yates in live BP prior to tonight’s game and has been cleared for baseball activity. Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune, Margot will head to Peoria to play in extended spring training games, and is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday:

Kirby Yates (ankle) threw live BP today against Padres hitters. If ready, he is eligible to come off the DL tomorrow.

Strikeouts, strikeouts, strikeouts

A night after striking out a franchise record-tying 20 times, the Padres struck out 13 times against Dodgers pitching.

All in all, they struck out 45 times in the three games against Los Angeles. The 45 K’s were the fourth-most combined strikeouts during a three-game series in MLB history since 1913, according to STATS, Inc.

“There’s got to be a greater measure of resolve,” manager Andy Green said after Tuesday’s game. “There comes a point in where balls have just got to be put in play.”

A day later, his team did little to answer the manager’s statement with their on-field play. Needless to say, these strikeouts are an issue that will likely not go away any time soon.

Perdomo struggles

Luis Perdomo struggled mightily tonight in this return from suspension. He allowed ten hits and nine runs (seven earned) in three innings of work.

The Padres know he has the stuff, but the question is, when will he take that next step? Andy Green has been pretty vocal about wanting to see it, but at least through four starts this season, it has not arrived.

“This is Major League Baseball, you have to pitch better than that,” Andy Green said after his team’s 13-4 loss. “There’s really no other way around it at this point and time.”

The former Rule V pick’s leash definitely got shorter tonight; with guys like Walker Lockett, Brett Kennedy, and Eric Lauer in AAA itching for a chance.

Former Padres enact their revenge

Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal, two former Padres, tormented Padres pitching in these three games at Petco. They combined to go 10-24 with three home runs and 14 RBI in the three- game sweep.