With Clevinger, Darvish healthy, Padres rotation falling into place

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres entered the offseason with questions aplenty about the state of their starting rotation. They arrived in Peoria this week and appear to have gotten some favorable answers to those questions.

Mike Clevinger, coming off a second Tommy John surgery in 2020? Ready to go, and expected to be in the team's Opening Day rotation, manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday.

Yu Darvish, whose hip and back trouble played a part in his second-half spiral last season? Healthy and already facing hitters, having tweaked his mechanics to address those issues, he says.

Chris Paddack, who was shut down in September because of elbow trouble? Throwing bullpens without issue and set to compete for the final place in the Padres' rotation.

After an offseason shrouded by uncertainty, in part due to the ongoing lockout, the Padres' rotation plans appear to have fallen into place somewhat quickly now that the lockout is over. On Tuesday, Melvin touted the readiness of his pitching staff, despite a tricky offseason.

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"It's something we tried to address right before the lockout with the guys," Melvin said. "'Look, we don't know what this is going to look like and when it's going to end. It's on you to have yourself ready.'"

To that end, Melvin likes the state of his pitching staff, noting that four names are "set in stone" in the team's Opening Day rotation plans -- Darvish, Clevinger, Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell. Paddack will lead a host of contenders for the No. 5 spot.

Of course, that competition -- as well as the ramp-up period for the other four starters -- is shorter than usual this year. Opening Day is three weeks away.

In order to collectively stay ready during the lockout, righty reliever Craig Stammen, the team's player rep, held regular Zoom sessions, which rose in frequency as the calendar turned to February.

Some of those Zooms were team-wide. Others were exclusive to the pitchers, with Stammen and Musgrove leading the charge in making sure the staff was preparing diligently.

"We needed to have done some stuff the last three or four weeks that emulated Spring Training in the weeks that we missed," Stammen said. "So that when we got here, we were healthy and ready to start the season rockin' and rollin'."

On Monday, Stammen watched intently as Clevinger, Paddack and Musgrove threw simultaneous bullpen sessions.

"Watching guys throw yesterday and how good they looked -- yeah, I guess they did it," Stammen laughed. "Mission accomplished."

A handful of the team’s pitchers worked out regularly together during the lockout in nearby Poway at the home of one of Musgrove's family friends, a private pitching instructor. Clevinger is raring to go, having simulated one- and two-inning sessions regularly for the past couple of months. Darvish, too -- he faced hitters on Tuesday in his first live throwing session and induced droves of swings and misses.

Paddack, coming off what was characterized as a minor UCL sprain last September, began his throwing program a few weeks later than he otherwise would've. But he says he’s ready for game action as well.

Now for the tricky part: Building up to a regular starter’s workload in an abbreviated camp. The Padres have said they’ll play it safe. If their starters work an inning less than they normally would in the first turn through the rotation, so be it.

"You've got to be cognizant and make sure you don't try to ramp up too fast," Paddack said. "Listen to our arms, listen to our bodies, don't try to do too much."

Said Melvin: “All we can do is handle today. It’s going to feel like you need to be rushed. But don’t treat it that way.”

Notable

• In the past, CJ Abrams has split time at both middle infield spots in big league camp. This year, however, in the wake of Fernando Tatis Jr.’s injury, the Padres anticipate giving Abrams the bulk of his work at short, "based on the lack of options at shortstop."

A non-roster invitee, Abrams impressed in Minor League camp before joining the big league clubhouse on Sunday. He's the Padres' top prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall, but at 21 years old, the Padres wouldn't promote him to the big leagues unless there were regular playing time available. As things stand, Ha-Seong Kim is projected to start at short until Tatis returns.

• The closer race is an open competition -- one the Padres are unlikely to seriously evaluate until later in camp.

"Yeah, it's going to take awhile for that," Melvin said. "We'll probably get through spring, and, again, we'll see what the roster looks like at the end, because there could be some additions as we go along."

• The Padres expect to set a record for season-ticket members and sales in 2022, CEO Erik Greupner said Tuesday, with the club on the verge of eclipsing 19,000 season-ticket holders.

"That's just a testament to the commitment from our community and our fanbase to support this team," Greupner said. "They're as excited as ever about the team and what lies ahead this season. Just really grateful for the response we continue to get from the fanbase."