DENVER -- Jake Esch has had a whirlwind spring after a late season callup with the Marlins last year. Miami put him on waivers at the end of Spring Training and San Diego claimed him on March 31, assigning him to Double-A San Antonio.
Tuesday he was scratched from his scheduled first start, and Wednesday he was in the Padres' clubhouse at Coors Field ready to fill whatever role the the club needed.
"Right now, it's whenever they call my name," Esch said before Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Rockies, during which he entered in the ninth inning and walked two batters. "Whether it's one inning, five innings, 100 pitches, 10 pitches, one batter, it doesn't matter. Right now my job is to come up here and do as well as I can for as long as possible."
Esch, 27, debuted in the Majors in 2016, making three starts for the Marlins and going 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA. He allowed eight runs on 17 hits and six walks while striking out 10 in 13 innings.
"It was a great experience," Esch said. "I got to make some starts in the playoff run for the Marlins against the Mets, Phillies, and Braves. It's a dream come true when you make your debut, and after that, it's all about the 'W.'"
Esch took Luis Perdomo's spot on the roster, after the right-hander went on the disabled list Wednesday, retroactive to April 9, with right shoulder soreness. Perdomo said he's had discomfort for about three weeks.
"I was able to pitch with it, but toward the end it was just a little too much," Perdomo said through team interpreter David Longley. "It's been about the same, it's been there. It's just a matter of getting the inflammation under control."
Manager Andy Green said Perdomo will start throwing again Friday.
"If he doesn't experience any real bad symptoms, then we'll accelerate his path pretty quickly and get him back on the mound going fast," Green said.
Hector on track
Hector Sanchez caught bullpens for Jarred Cosart and Trevor Cahill Wednesday and could come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Friday.
"We'd like to put him through the paces a little bit more, but with the [day game and off-day Thursday] it's hard to get him all the way through the exercises and make sure he's 100 percent good to go, but he's really close right around that day," Green said.
Green reported that both Cosart and Cahill "felt really good" in their side sessions. Green is hopeful that Cahill will be able to come off the 10-day DL when he's eligible on Sunday and make his next start that day.
"My anticipation would be Cosart stays in the rotation regardless with Perdomo's spot coming open," Green said.
Clean Capps
Carter Capps made his first rehab appearance Tuesday, pitching one inning in Lake Elsinore as he recovers from Tommy John surgery he underwent March 8, 2016. He threw 11 pitches with his velocity around 94 mph. He'll take the mound again for Elsinore tomorrow.