Paddack impresses in bid for rotation spot

PHOENIX -- It’s time to start taking Chris Paddack seriously as a candidate in the Padres’ rotation race. He made that very clear on Tuesday afternoon.

The 23-year-old right-hander made his Cactus League debut in a 3-1 victory over the Brewers, and he brought it from the start. Paddack's first three pitches to leadoff man Orlando Arcia were all fastballs. Arcia took strike one and swung through the next two.

"Honestly, throwing in the bullpen, to the dugout, I felt like I was 400 pounds, my legs were so heavy," said Paddack, who is ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. "But when I stepped foot on the mound after that first pitch, it was the same game."

In his two innings, Paddack struck out three more Brewers, though he allowed a walk and an unearned run in the second. Those were rarities last year for Paddack, who pitched 90 innings between Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio. He allowed eight walks and 21 runs all season.

That level of production has Paddack on the fringe of a place in the Padres' starting rotation, even though he's made just seven starts in Double-A.

"I'm very excited about what these next 3-4 weeks hold for me," Paddack said. "I'm going to do everything I can to stay here."

Manager Andy Green has certainly left the door open for Paddack to make the rotation, and the club has at least three places available. But there's a caveat. Paddack missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery, and he's never thrown more than 90 innings.

"He's going to impact us," Green said. "I don’t know when -- he’ll show us when. Obviously, we’ve got some innings limitations this year based on where he is coming from off of TJ."

On Tuesday, Paddack and catcher Austin Hedges drove to Maryvale together, game-planning on the ride over in Hedges’ jeep. Paddack threw mostly fastballs, though he mixed in a few changeups and curveballs. His changeup is one of the best pitches in the Minor Leagues. His curveball is still a work in progress.

Paddack shook Hedges off once, when Hedges called for a fastball against Mike Moustakas. Instead, Paddack threw a changeup that Moustakas flared down the left field line for a double. Later in the frame, Paddack attempted a throw over to first base on a 3-2 pitch with two out. First baseman Allen Craig was playing deep, and the ball sailed up the first-base line.

Still, the good far outweighed the bad in Paddack's Cactus League debut.

"I've got a lot to work on, things I didn’t do too well today," Paddack said. "But overall, I'm just pleased with my performance. Now I can say I've gotten to face some big league hitters."

Chances are, it won't be long before he's facing big league hitters on a pretty regular basis.

Covering the bases

First: Hedges crushed a long home run in the fourth inning off Brewers righty Chase Anderson. It was his first of Spring Training and yet another reminder that Hedges can do as much damage against righties as he does against lefties. (Last season, his OPS was 51 points higher against righties.) Hedges' splits might make it less likely that a platoon situation arises with either switch-hitter Francisco Mejia or lefty Austin Allen.

Second: Rotation-candidate Robbie Erlin followed Paddack with two scoreless frames. He allowed one hit and recorded one strikeout. Erlin is seemingly a lock for the Opening Day roster, but it remains to be seen whether he'll open the year in the rotation or the bullpen.

Third: It's been nearly two years since outfielder Alex Dickerson last played for the Padres (coincidentally, also against the Brewers in a spring game in Maryvale). He missed the entire 2017 season due to back surgery and the '18 season due to Tommy John surgery. Dickerson is still limited in throwing the ball, and he's destined to open the year in the Minor Leagues where his game action will be closely monitored. But he served as designated hitter on Tuesday, going 0-for-2 with a pair of groundouts.

Home: Lefty reliever Brad Wieck threw his first bullpen session of the spring, a significant milestone in his recovery from offseason cancer surgery. Wieck remains on a slow progression toward game action, but by all accounts, he's healthy and feeling good.

Up next

Wednesday's a busy day in Peoria, where the Padres take on the D-backs at 12:10 p.m. PT. Eric Hosmer and Ian Kinsler are slated for their spring debuts. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi will make his first start, and fellow southpaw Matt Strahm will begin his quest to transition from the bullpen to the rotation. And perhaps the most interesting development: Wil Myers could make his first appearance in center field.