LAMET NOT READY YET; SPOT OPEN FOR FRIDAY
The Padres are sticking with their planned rotation for the series here against the Pirates.
That leaves them with a hole to fill Friday in their first game against the Dodgers this season, as left-hander Adrian Morejon was placed on the 10-day injured list with a forearm strain near his elbow and was scheduled to undergo an MRI and X-rays this evening.
Friday's starter will not be Dinelson Lamet, who will make another start in Arizona at the team's alternate site before perhaps returning to pitch next week against the Brewers.
“We're not going to do anything out of necessity,” manager Jayce Tingler said. “We're going to do what we believe is right for Lamet and make sure he's good to go.”
Lamet has been brought along slowly after being unable to pitch in the postseason due to an elbow issue. He has reached almost 60 pitches in games in Arizona and reported feeling good.
The Padres could turn to some combination of rookie Ryan Weathers and Nabil Crismatt, who was recalled from the taxi squad Monday, to fill Morejon's turn in the rotation Friday. Weathers is a future starter and got up to around 70 pitches in spring training. Crismatt, a starter in the minors, threw 44 pitches in his final appearance last year for the St. Louis Cardinals, though his most in three games for the Padres this season is 21.
“Everything will be on the table,” Tingler said.
Joe Musgrove threw his between-start bullpen session Monday in Pittsburgh and felt good, so the Padres won't push his next start back a day as they had pondered after he threw a career-high 112 pitches in his nohitter Friday.
“You're probably not going to see him go 112 pitches, but he is going to start,” Tingler said.
That means Musgrove's mother, Diane, and sister, Terra, will see him pitch Wednesday, as they visit him in the city where he played the previous three seasons.
Yu Darvish started Monday and Blake Snell will today. Chris Paddack will pitch the finale Thursday afternoon.
The Dodgers made some slight maneuvers in lining up their rotation so that their top three starters — Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer — pitch in San Diego. Darvish is lined up to face Kershaw on Saturday and Snell to face Bauer on Sunday.
While it is unrealistic to think the Padres' decision makers are not planning for the Dodgers series, Tingler asserted the Pirates are at the fore of their minds. The reality is they will have to get through the four games here, see which pitchers were used and go from there.
“We're really not looking ahead,” Tingler said. “… It's tempting to look ahead, but the reality is every game we've had so far has been a battle. We've had one game where we've had a comfortable lead. We understand this Pirates team is coming off a really good series against the Cubs. That's where my focus is. That's where this team's focus is. You're going to look up at the end of the year and every game matters. You don't want to look back and because you're thinking ahead you dismissed an opponent. We've got to stay in the present.”
Profar everywhere
Jurickson Profar's streak of playing a new position every day ended at four games.
After playing left field, first base, right field and second base from Wednesday to Sunday, Profar was back in left field on Monday. Tommy Pham moved over to center field.
Trent Grisham got a day off. The plan had originally been for Grisham to play just two of three in Texas on the artificial turf at Globe Life Field, but he played the whole series and hit two home runs while going 5for-11. The Padres want to make sure he stays healthy after missing the final three weeks of spring training and first week of the season with a left hamstring strain.
They are aided in their aim to give regulars rest because they have Profar. He's their Swiss Army knife. He didn't just play those positions, he played them well and went 5-for-16 with a walk.
“That's why we were so passionate about making sure he came back to us,” Tingler said. “That's one of the many reasons. Not only what he does individually but what he does for the team, the flexibility, the versatility, the ballplayer he is, the person he is, the teammate he is. I don't know how you put a value on it. I just know we were very aggressive in making sure San Diego was his home going forward.”
The value, in this case, is $7 million a year for three years (with Profar being able to opt out after each of the first two seasons).
“Early in my career I wanted to focus on one position,” said Profar, who came up as a shortstop. “But the way baseball is today, that's a good thing to have to be able to play multiple positions. It helps the team a lot. I'm very happy I can do that.”
Tingler generally texts Profar the night before a game to tell him where he will start the next day. Profar said he has an infielder's glove and outfielder's glove and borrows Jake Cronenworth's first baseman's glove.
“Everywhere is my favorite,” Profar said. “Just playing is my favorite. … I don't give it mind where I'm playing.”
Notable
Musgrove was named the National League Player of the Week. He follows Eric Hosmer, who won it the season's first week. Dating to last season, a Padres player has won the award five of the past 10 weeks. Manny Machado won it twice and Fernando Tatis Jr. once in August.
• Right-hander Pierce Johnson joined the team in Pittsburgh and threw in the outfield Monday at PNC Park. The bullpen, which covered five innings Saturday and 81⁄3 innings Sunday, could need reinforcements here depending on how the next couple days go.
• Three San Diegans were in the Pirates' starting lineup — starting pitcher Trevor Cahill (Vista High), right fielder Phillip Evans (La Costa Canyon) and shortstop Kevin Newman (Poway).