'Heavy lifting' for Moreland; spotter needed?

It took two years, but Eric Hosmer has finally looked like the middle-of-the-lineup force the Padres envisioned when they signed him to an eight-year contract in 2018.

Now -- on the precipice of their first playoff appearance in 14 years -- the Padres are faced with the unsettling task of replacing Homser, who landed on the injured list Tuesday with a fractured left index finger.

The team remains optimistic that Hosmer will return before the postseason. The veteran first baseman won't require surgery after sustaining the fracture Monday on a failed bunt attempt. He'll be held out of activity for at least 10-14 days before ramping back up. With three weeks remaining until the playoffs begin, time is of the essence.

However long it takes to get Hosmer back, the Padres need a plan to replace him in the interim. They haven't locked up their playoff spot just yet, and they have important series against three division rivals on the current homestand.

"I would expect [Mitch] Moreland to do quite a bit of the heavy lifting," said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. "But at the same time, I would also expect to see some other guys get over there, as well."

Ah, yes, Moreland. As luck would have it, the Padres happened to acquire another lefty-hitting first baseman at the Trade Deadline. Replacing Hosmer seems simple on the surface.

“Hoz has had a great year, and he’s been a huge part of this team,” Moreland said. “Losing him is going to hurt. But at the same time, if I’m able to pick up and hold it down until he gets back healthy, I’m going to do everything I can and try to carry my weight.”

But who carries Moreland’s weight? The veteran slugger was acquired to serve as the primary designated hitter. So who takes his spot? On Tuesday, it was Austin Nola. Against right-handed pitching, it seems fair to expect either Nola or Jason Castro -- whoever isn’t catching -- to start at DH, with Moreland at first.

If the Padres want to go heavy on lefty bats, they could even throw Greg Garcia into the mix, giving Nola the day off.

So, yes, there are options for replacing Hosmer against right-handed pitching. It's not as simple against lefties.

Consider the numbers for Moreland and Castro against left-handed pitching:

Moreland OPS vs. left/right
2020: .564/1.052
2019: .598/.887

Castro OPS vs. left/right
2020: .466/.735
2019: .347/.851

Clearly, Moreland and Castro are valuable against right-handed pitching. But they don't have the track record to start against lefties -- and especially not at premium offensive positions like DH and first base.

The Padres have made significant roster upgrades over the past 10 days. But the absence of the right-handed-hitting Ty France, who was traded to Seattle, stings a bit here.

So what do the Padres do? Here are their options:

• Get catcher Luis Campusano (left wrist sprain) healthy ASAP and start him at catcher with Nola at first base.

• Get Tommy Pham (left hamate bone surgery) healthy ASAP and start him in left field, moving Jurickson Profar to second base and Jake Cronenworth to first.

• Play Jorge Oña in the outfield, sliding Wil Myers to first base. (Tingler said this move is unlikely considering the way Myers has thrived as the team’s everyday right fielder. Plus, it's not clear who would serve as DH in Oña's absence.)

• Just play Moreland and/or Nola and hope righties like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Myers and Nola bring enough thump to mask their deficiencies.

The good news for the Padres? It could be a while before they face their next lefty starter. They aren't lined up to face one until the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw comes to town Sept. 15.

Coincidentally, that's also the earliest day the Padres would be able to activate Campusano from the IL. Tingler expressed optimism that Campusano, who was promoted primarily because of his ability to torch left-handed pitching, would be healthy by then.

That’s certainly a palatable solution. But the Padres know the best answer would be getting Hosmer healthy at crunch time.