SAN DIEGO -- Soon enough, the Padres hope, they’ll have a full-strength offense. They returned two players on Monday, and it’s possible they'll add two more for Wednesday's series finale against the Rockies, with Eric Hosmer having been cleared late Tuesday night, according to manager Jayce Tingler, and Fernando Tatis Jr. potentially set to join him.

The Padres, of course, would have preferred to avoid these particular circumstances. Five players landed on the injured list last week due to COVID-19 issues. But whenever they have their full contingent of offensive weapons at their disposal again, the Padres say they'll be better off for having tested their depth -- particularly considering the results.

With a quintet of regular contributors on the IL, the Padres called up Brian O'Grady, John Andreoli, Tucupita Marcano, Patrick Kivlehan and Ivan Castillo (the latter two of whom were sent down Monday to clear space for Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo).

The Padres are 7-1 since, and they’ve received legitimate contributions from all five of those callups. Take Sunday night's decisive fourth-inning rally, for instance. Marcano opened the scoring by working a bases-loaded walk. Kivlehan put the Padres in front with a sacrifice fly. Castillo doubled that lead with his first career hit.

"Sometimes our best games are backyard-baseball style," said Tingler. "Guys are coming in in different roles. That's what I mean by drawing it up in the dirt. Sometimes we have plans and those plans, whether it's injury, whatever, they go out the door, and we just get after it."

Second baseman Jake Cronenworth noted that the next-man-up mentality is preached organizationally. (Heck, Cronenworth is the perfect example of a player who seized a sliver of an opportunity and ran with it last year, when Hosmer landed on the IL, and he made himself a starting-lineup mainstay.)

"It's just the culture we have in the clubhouse," said Cronenworth. "Those guys feel super comfortable coming in and just being themselves."

If Hosmer and Tatis return on Wednesday, that means two additional transactions will be forthcoming. When Wil Myers returns -- at some point this weekend, the Padres hope -- that means another.

Barring something unforeseen, the five players who were called up will be the five players who give way, putting the Padres' roster back where it was a week ago. Only, in Tingler's eyes, there's an awful lot of benefit to the experience gained over the past week for those callups -- particularly considering they didn't look the slightest bit overmatched.

"Now, it's taking that with some confidence, going back, going to work and understanding, 'When is the next opportunity? I've got to be ready for it,'" Tingler said. "We're all going to grow from it, and ultimately, the more depth we build within the organization, that does make us stronger down the stretch."

Worth noting

• Since Austin Nola returned to the Padres’ starting lineup in a fairly even timeshare with Victor Caratini behind the plate, Caratini is hitting .292/.370/.625 with a handful of critical hits. That is, perhaps, no coincidence. Caratini was asked to shoulder a heavy burden during April while Nola was on the injured list, recovering from a fractured left middle finger.

"Victor's just had big at-bats, and it seems like his hits come in the biggest moments," Tingler said. "Maybe he's a little bit fresher, with not having to catch, two, three, four in a row."

• Left-hander Drew Pomeranz played catch on Monday and Tuesday and should progress toward throwing a bullpen session on either Wednesday or Thursday. Pomeranz landed on the injured list last week with a right shoulder impingement, but Tingler indicated that he's progressing steadily. The earliest Pomeranz can be activated is for Sunday's series finale against the Mariners.

• Two other relievers, meanwhile, aren't quite so near a return. Right-handers Taylor Williams (right knee inflammation) and Dan Altavilla (right elbow inflammation) are still recovering and are not approaching a rehab stint any time soon, Tingler said.