SAN DIEGO – A few hours before the Cubs’ game Monday against the Padres, utility player Christopher Morel got some early infield work in at first base. There is no grand experiment in the works to convert Morel into a first baseman -- Chicago just wanted to get a look at him at the position.

“Adding another feather in his cap,” Cubs manager David Ross said.

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Really, the North Siders are exploring as many avenues as possible to keep Morel involved in the field. During a 5-0 loss Monday night at Petco Park, he got the nod in center field and made a nice jumping catch at the wall in the eighth inning. At the plate, Morel’s recent drought persisted.

Morel went hitless in three at-bats, giving him an 0-for-18 showing across his last seven games. The fact that he still has a .959 OPS through 22 games since rejoining the Cubs from Triple-A Iowa offers a glimpse into how otherworldly he was hitting out of the chute.

The goal now is helping Morel rediscover the slug in his bat.

“Obviously, he came out with such a hot start,” Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly said. “He became such a big threat in the lineup. Teams have taken notice, and they're going to attack him a certain way. And the way that they go about him is going to be unique to him. So for us, it’s trying to dial in that game plan and really stick to what he's good at.”

While anything about Morel’s production falls into the small-sample category right now, one glaring aspect has been his struggles while serving as a designated hitter. In 35 plate appearances as a DH, Morel has hit just .156 (.609 OPS). In 49 plate appearances while in the field, Morel has hit at a .333 clip with a 1.293 OPS (including Monday’s 0-for-3).

Morel can continue to help out in center field while Cody Bellinger works his way back from the injured list, but the Cubs have also liked Mike Tauchman at that spot. Morel played third in 2022 but has not logged a single inning there with the Cubs this year. He is blocked by regulars all around the rest of the diamond.

The DH slot is the clearest way to keep Morel in the lineup, but he has struggled to adjust to all that goes into that role.

“I feel better when I’m playing outfield or a position than doing DH,” Morel said. “If I [do poorly] one at-bat, I think too much. … They see it, and I see it, too. In the game, I can concentrate at different points and not think too much about hitting.”

Kelly called the DH one of the most challenging jobs in baseball, especially for a young player like Morel.

“A lot of it,” Kelly said, “is that he plays with such high energy, and he burns so much energy out in the field running around, just playing like he plays. That time in the dugout, he doesn't get to burn that energy.

“So we're trying to keep him on his plan, on his approach, without overthinking it, without watching too much video, without going back and watching every single at-bat. Just staying in the game, and not necessarily isolating yourself as the DH.”

Over his first 12 games in the big leagues this year, the 23-year-old Morel had a slash line of .367/.404/.980 with nine home runs, three doubles, 15 RBIs and 17 runs. It was a continuation of his incredible start at Triple-A, where he turned in a .330/.425/.730 slash line with 11 homers, nine doubles and 31 RBIs in 29 games.

Since that overwhelming outpouring over his first dozen games back in the big leagues, Morel has gone 2-for-29 over his last 10 games. Pitchers have shown him fewer fastballs and upped the dose of offspeed pitches in that recent stretch. But Morel felt his approach is what led to the altered attack.

“They’re not changing anything. I changed,” he said. “They’re going to throw something for chase. If I don’t swing, they have to come and [throw] a strike. … I’m trying to recognize it and be patient.”

Morel had little else to prove in the Minor Leagues, but there was always a question about how he would fit within Chicago’s roster puzzle. When he first came up in May, Morel logged a lot of time at second base while Nico Hoerner was sidelined.

The Cubs have veteran Trey Mancini and rookie Matt Mervis as the primary options for first base. Getting a look at Morel at that spot is likely more about giving Ross some feedback on whether it is a feasible option for later-game pinch-hitting scenarios.

“There's also a lot that goes into every position that has to be learned,” Ross said. “We've thrown a lot at that young man in a short amount of time in his big league career, and we're just going to continue to try to see how many tools we can put in his toolbox.”