Renfroe showcases arm amid improved defense

SAN DIEGO -- Hunter Renfroe has a cannon.

Of course, that isn’t exactly new. The Padres right fielder has had a cannon since he first arrived in the big leagues three seasons ago.

But from the start of his rookie season to the end of the 2018 campaign, no outfielder made more errors than Renfroe’s 17. This year, he’s committed only two, and he was tied for the Major League lead in outfield assists going into Friday night's game against the Rockies.

Thursday offered the perfect showcase for Renfroe’s improvements. In a one-run game in the fourth inning, Rockies catcher Tony Wolters lined a single into right field. Renfroe ranged to his left and fielded the ball.

Without breaking stride, he uncorked a 97.1 mph throw to the plate. On two hops, it nestled in the glove of catcher Francisco Mejia, several steps ahead of an incoming Ryan McMahon.

"When he first came up, he was a wild man, throwing the ball wherever he could as hard as he could," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He's changed his decision-making -- understanding when to unleash it and at what angle to unleash it.

"What he did yesterday was two hops to the plate. Two years ago, it would've been two hops off the top net. He was just going to throw it as hard as he could. … He would make that one occasional throw, and you’d go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Not a lot of people said, ‘Oh my gosh' yesterday. But he got the out."

Renfroe's vastly improved glove has been one of the Padres' most surprising storylines this season. Two years ago, he was occasionally subbed for a defensive replacement. Now, he's a Gold Glove favorite, worth 20 defensive runs saved.

Renfroe has improved in a number of areas, and his arm ranks toward the bottom. His jumps are much better, and his routes are much better. His arm, meanwhile, has always been strong. It hasn’t always been effective.

"I wanted to do a whole lot," Renfroe said of his first couple of seasons. "I wanted to go out there, show the arm off. I wanted to be like basically what [Fernando] Tatis [Jr.] is doing right now. I got the ball, and I wanted to make every play."

Renfroe seemingly always had the ability to lead the Majors in outfield assists. It's only now that he's doing it. Renfroe is tied with the White Sox Leury Garcia with 12 assists, going into Friday's action. No one else has reached double figures.

Renfroe is also healthy, and that's half the battle.

"Last year, I just couldn't throw," Renfroe said. "It physically hurt to throw the baseball."

Renfroe dealt with bone spurs in his elbow early in the season. He compensated for that by trying to throw the ball almost exclusively using his forearm. That's when he strained his UCL. He spent a month on the disabled list, but the effects of that injury never quite went away until the offseason.

"There were times when his arm was taped up so he could barely move at all," Green said. "He was in pain playing baseball last year. But we needed him, and he manned up. He posted, and he played."

Renfroe broke out offensively during the second half in 2018. His defensive breakout didn't come for another six months. After the 2018 season, the Padres gave Renfroe a throwing progression that they'd typically give a starter coming back from elbow surgery.

He was shut down for the first 2 1/2 months of the offseason. Then, he was limited in his throwing. The Padres mapped out a plan for Renfroe to play catch from a prescribed distance that grew each time.

Renfroe arrived in camp healthier than he'd been in at least a year and a half. From there, he worked hard with outfielders coach Skip Schumaker, and it didn’t take long for the improvements to take shape.

"He wasn't good when he showed up in the outfield in the big leagues," Green said. "He took ownership of it. … He's truly been coachable. But he's truly taken ownership at the same time."

Castillo to injured list

The Padres placed lefty reliever Jose Castillo on the injured list with a left middle finger strain on Friday, and recalled righty Gerardo Reyes.

Thursday’s outing was Castillo’s first since a five-month absence due to a flexor strain in his left elbow. The Padres insist the injuries are unrelated.

Castillo underwent an MRI exam on his injured finger on Friday, and the Padres hadn't learned the results as of batting practice.

“Our hope is that he’s pitching again this year,” Green said. “It’s been a tough year for him. He’s somebody who cares immensely, and he’s worked incredibly hard. He’s battled back from a couple of different things this season and wants nothing more than to pitch for this club.”

In 37 appearances last season, Castillo posted a 3.29 ERA with 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.