TEMPE, Ariz. -- Lots of people have fun on their 21st birthday. Few have as much fun as Adrian Morejon did on Thursday afternoon in Tempe.

San Diego's No. 6 prospect made his first start of the spring in the Padres’ 1-0 victory over the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. He struck out Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani in succession. An inning later, he got Albert Pujols to bounce out weakly to shortstop Ivan Castillo.

When it was over, Morejon had worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, a step in his transition back toward a starter's workload. The electric left-hander is unlikely to crack the Padres' rotation this spring. But he's clearly a central piece in the team's plans.

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“I don’t think I’ve faced a lineup as potent as that one,” Morejon said of the Angels. “But for me, I just try to focus on executing my pitches.”

On this day, Morejon executed his pitches from the outset. After Morejon broke Mike Trout's bat on an infield single in the first, the lefty got Rendon to chase a curve that darted down and out of the strike zone. A few pitches later, he blew a high fastball past Ohtani for strike three.

"Regardless of the lineup I’m facing, I just have to go about with my game plan and make sure I’m throwing the ball over the plate and hitting my spots," Morejon said.

In the Padres' famed 2016-17 international signing class, Morejon was the biggest prize. His $11 million signing bonus (which actually cost the Padres double that amount because of tax rules) was the largest from that group.

It's easy to see why the organization decided to pony up. Morejon boasts a mid-90s-mph fastball and two offspeed pitches of big-league caliber. He earned a callup to the Majors last summer in a bullpen role.

But Morejon's biggest challenge has always been his health. He was shut down shortly after that callup due to a left shoulder impingement, and he has yet to reach 70 innings in a Minor League season. As a result, some have wondered whether Morejon might be better suited for the bullpen.

The Padres don't think so. With Morejon, MacKenzie Gore (San Diego's No. 1 prospect and No. 5 overall) and Luis Patiño (No. 3 for the Padres and No. 27 overall), they feel they have one of MLB's best trios of starting-pitching prospects. Morejon's health may be the only thing separating him from the level of Gore and Patiño. He's working to change that.

"A lot of the work that I put in, I feel, is paying dividends," Morejon said. "I made some small adjustments on my mechanics that hopefully ensures that my arm stays healthy. I’m focused, and I’m ready for the season."

But first, he's got a birthday to celebrate. Has he ever had a better one?

"No," Morejon said with a smile. "I don’t think so."

Lofty compliments for Grisham
Count Padres associate manager Skip Schumaker among those impressed by the early work of Trent Grisham, the 23-year-old outfielder acquired by San Diego in the November deal that sent Luis Urias to Milwaukee.

"There's a lot of things I really like about him," Schumaker said of Grisham. "He has a history of getting on base. You can tell by the way he works that -- even in batting practice, he's taking pitches -- he's a professional hitter. He has an idea of what he needs to do out there."

In particular, Schumaker praised Grisham for his intent during batting practice. Grisham isn't merely in the cage to hit the ball. He works to keep his hands quick by spraying the ball precisely where he wants it to go.

"The only time I've seen it, honestly, like that is Chase Utley," Schumaker said. "Chase used to do that -- spray the ball around, use his hands, get an idea of how to see pitches and what he's really trying to work on. It's not just hitting to hit. To see that out of a young player so soon, it's impressive."

Grisham went 1-for-2 with a walk on Thursday.

Dozier debuts
New Padres second baseman Brian Dozier wasted little time getting into game action. Hours after he'd finalized his deal with the Padres on Monday, Dozier was on a back field at the Peoria Sports Complex facing pitchers. Three days after that, he made his first start.

Dozier was the Padres' designated hitter on Thursday, going 1-for-3. He flied out to the warning track in the first inning, struck out in the third and singled in the fifth.

Dozier is in camp on a Minor League deal, but he is squarely in the Padres' second-base mix. Jurickson Profar is currently the projected starter, but Dozier should at least force his way onto the roster in a backup role.

Up next
Right-hander Zach Davies is slated for his second start of the spring when the Padres host the Cubs in San Diego's first night game of the spring. Davies worked two perfect innings in his debut against the Brewers on Sunday. Key bullpen pieces Drew Pomeranz and Craig Stammen are also slated to throw. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. PT at Peoria Stadium.