GAME ON FOR TATIS TODAY; SOTO OK
One Padres superstar appears ready for his Cactus League debut today. Another might join him in the lineup after an unscheduled day off.
Left fielder Juan Soto felt some tightness in his left calf during batting practice and was scratched shortly before Monday’s 7-6 loss to the Dodgers.
“This time of spring, especially coming up and taking a lot of at-bats,” manager Bob Melvin said, “we just wanted to be precautionary.”
Melvin said there is a “good chance” Soto plays today against the Giants in Scottsdale.
If so, he will be on hand for the highly anticipated return of Fernando Tatis Jr.
In his final tune-up, Tatis thrilled several dozen fans along with members of the coaching staff and front office watching an intrasquad game Monday morning.
In two at-bats against starting pitcher Michael Wacha, Tatis doubled and homered. He also raced from second to home on a single by Jake Cronenworth and played right field.
Earlier Monday, Melvin confirmed Tatis will serve as the Padres’ designated hitter against the Giants.
Today had been the expected date of Tatis’ first game as he works back from a season spent sidelined by injury and suspension. But the Padres had been purposeful in qualifying that they wanted to make sure he was ready to do all the instinctual and sudden movements that could be required of him in a game.
“By the looks of the back field,” Melvin said, “he looks like he’s very ready to go.”
Crisp Crismatt
Pitchers can throw a maximum of 65 pitches in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.
Padres reliever Nabil Crismatt is scheduled to start for Colombia on March 13 against Great Britain.
“I hope I can throw nine innings with 65 pitches,” Crismatt said Monday before laughing heartily.
Crismatt was at least sharp enough in getting through two innings against the Dodgers in 30 pitches that it could mean good things for Colombia and for the Padres.
“Huge for us,” Melvin said.
Crismatt is ostensibly competing for a spot as a long reliever, though Melvin has said he anticipates Crismatt will be on the opening-day roster. (Crismatt is out of options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without being made available via waivers.)
The right-hander, who led Padres relievers in innings (671⁄3) and ERA (2.94) last season, is developing a cutter that provides the advantage of moving the opposite direction of his excellent change-up. He used both pitches effectively Monday.
“Everything is working good,” Crismatt said. “I feel amazing out there.”
Notable
Ha-Seong Kim played in his final Cactus League game before a flight to Seoul to join the South Korean team as it prepares for the WBC.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts leaves Wednesday to join the Netherlands team, and catcher Brett Sullivan departs Thursday to join the Italian team.
The players on the Dominican Republic team
(Nelson Cruz, Luis Garcia, Manny Machado and Soto) are scheduled to leave March 6. Yu Darvish joined the Japanese team before Padres camp started.
• Wacha threw two “innings” in his first “game” action. Tatis and Cronenworth reached safely in both their at-bats, but Wacha retired
Trent Grisham, Adam Engel and a handful of minor leaguers. He got four outs in the first inning and five in the second.
• Blake Snell is scheduled to pitch in an intrasquad game today. The Padres are using games on back fields to get some of their established pitchers work early, so they can assess certain other pitchers in Cactus League games.