How Hosmer's impending return impacts 2B

SAN DIEGO -- There’s plenty of playing time available on the right side of the Padres' infield. For now.

But what happens when Eric Hosmer returns from his bout with gastritis? Manager Jayce Tingler expressed optimism that could happen as soon as Saturday.

What happens when Jorge Mateo is back up to speed after missing most of camp while sidelined due to the coronavirus? Mateo has turned heads at the team's alternate site and could soon merit a callup.

The Padres expect infield playing time to get awfully tight in the very near future. That could leave Jurickson Profar, Greg Garcia, Jake Cronenworth and possibly Mateo vying for one starting spot at second base. (Perhaps two, depending on that night's designated hitter.)

The Padres entered the season expecting Profar to serve as their regular second baseman. But he’s off to a slow start, entering play Tuesday hitting .086 with a .391 OPS. Profar was left on the bench against Dodgers righty Dustin May.

There's still reason for optimism, as Profar ranks among the league leaders in pitches per plate appearance and has seen some bad batted-ball luck, as evidenced by his .259 expected batting average.

"Look, we're scoring some runs, and he's a big part of this offense," said Tingler. "We're going to rotate guys through, there's no doubt about that. But Profar's part of this."

Still, two noteworthy developments might soon jeopardize Profar's playing time:

1) The rookie Cronenworth has broken out in Hosmer's absence. He's hitting .357 through the season's first two weeks, while showcasing some dazzling glovework at first base. Cronenworth's elite glove translates at all four infield spots, and he's a candidate to receive regular reps at second when Hosmer returns.

2) The Padres might look to get the righty-hitting Mateo some early at-bats against lefties. Profar, a switch-hitter, has always been better from the right side. But if his struggles persist, a Mateo/Cronenworth platoon could emerge.

As for Hosmer, Tuesday offered some positive news for the first time since he was placed on the injured list over the weekend. Hosmer took batting practice and ground balls. He has regained some strength after being hit hard by the gastrointestinal illness last week.

"He's lost a little bit of weight," Tingler said. "Just talking to him, he feels so much better. He had a good workout, broke a good sweat, stomach and everything felt good."

Hosmer was off to a fast start, having reached base in seven of 12 plate appearances with seven RBIs. But Cronenworth has filled in admirably.

A weekend return for Hosmer wouldn't necessarily send Cronenworth back to the bench. But it would create quite the logjam at second base -- especially considering rosters downsize from 30 players to 28 on Thursday.

The gist of the team's second-base evaluation is this: The Padres aren't too concerned with their production at the position, despite ranking 24th among 30 clubs in wRC+. Profar will get a few more chances to solidify his place. But if he doesn't, the Padres think they have worthwhile replacement options in house already.