Pham returns from IL, inserted into lineup at DH.
Tommy Pham was reinstated from the injured list Friday and served as the Padres' designated hitter.
His return may well contribute to the Padres eventually having too many good options to fit them all in the lineup at the start of playoff games.
But a decision on who gets the bulk of the starts at designated hitter and in left field aren't necessarily as imminent as the returns of Eric Hosmer and Pham from the injured list.
Pham had surgery Aug. 17 to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left hand. Hosmer fractured his left index finger Sept. 7. Hosmer is expected to follow Pham back in short order, perhaps as soon as today.
“We're optimistic it's going to be very soon, barring any setbacks,” manager Jayce Tingler said.
Who the odd man out is among those two, Mitch Moreland and Jurickson Profar, might never really become an issue.
Hosmer is not expected to play first base, nor is Pham expected to be in left field every day right away.
“When those guys come back right off the bat I don't know if they're going to be playing a position every day,” Tingler said. “There may be a small little buildup as they progress through. I think being able to keep both those guys — Moreland and Profar — we're going to be able to get those guys the at-bats they need to make sure they've got the momentum to continue helping our team.”
Eventually, provided he is healthy and producing, Hosmer will resume being the everyday first baseman. With Profar hitting .270 with a .343 on-base percentage (and .400/.424 since Aug. 30), he is also likely a virtual lock to remain in left field. That leaves the right-handed hitting Pham and left-handed hitting Moreland to work at designated hitter with the playing time likely largely dependent on how Pham is hitting.
Pham replaced Jorge Oña in Friday's lineup. Oña was optioned to the alternate site.
First time for everything
Fernando Tatis Jr. entered Friday having gone 2for-27 over the past eight games and without an extrabase hit since his home run Sept. 6 in Oakland (a span of nine games).
He remained tied for the National League lead with 15 home runs, but during his streak his batting average dropped 33 points to .281, his on-base percentage 36 points to .369 and his OPS 117 points to .951.
Through Thursday's games, he was tied for the major league lead with 225 plate appearances and had played the third-most innings (4141⁄3) of any shortstop. However, Tingler pushed back against the idea fatigue is a factor in Tatis slumping.
“I don't think he's tired,” Tingler said. “I think he's just going through a little pocket, maybe trying to do too much at times. I think he's going to be in a position to get extremely hot for us down the stretch.”
There is evidence to support those contentions.
First, Tatis on Wednesday hit two of the three balls he put in play hard — at 99.7 and 105.6 mph. Just eight of the 19 balls he put in play in the previous seven games had an exit velocity above 95 mph.
As for the idea he is pressing, Tatis has been chasing far more pitches of late. Three of his outs Wednesday were made on swings on pitches outside the strike zone. After chasing just 23.8 percent of the time in his first 43 games, he has chased at a 41.6 percent rate in the past eight games.
And of Tingler's assertion Tatis is about to get hot, that might be a safe bet as well — considering he has never come close to having an eight-game stretch like the one he is currently navigating.
Slower go
When the Padres called up Luis Campusano to make his major league debut Sept. 4 it was with the idea their No. 2 position prospect could be an offensive weapon in the postseason.
That will be a challenge now, as time is running out on his being able to return from a sprained wrist. Tingler said only that Campusano's rehab was behind that of Hosmer and Pham.
Campusano homered as the designated hitter in his first game and was scheduled to start at catcher Sept. 5 when he hurt his left wrist in batting practice.
On deck
In a battle of former Indians pitchers, Padres righthander Mike Clevinger (3-2, 3.10 ERA) will start the second game of the series tonight against Mariners rookie left-hander Justus Sheffield (3-3, 4.06 ERA).
Clevinger is coming off a seven-inning shutout, the first shutout by a Padre since 2017. He has struck out 17 against three walks in 18 innings with the Padres.
The 24-year-old Sheffield has pitched at least six innings and allowed two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts. He has never faced the Padres.
Staff writer Jeff Sanders contributed to this report.
kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com