CRUZ HAS HIS HANDS FULL THIS SPRING
Tatis will not play right away, as Padres make sure he’s ready for action
The Padres won’t see all that much of Nelson Cruz before they put him on the opening-day roster.
So the important thing is what Cruz is seeing these days. And according to him, he is tracking pitches far better than he was the past season and a half.
“Day and night,” he said Wednesday of the difference in his vision following offseason eye surgery. “I see the ball pretty good. I’m really excited. I can’t wait until the start of the games.”
Cruz has said inflammation in his left eye impaired his vision all last season and the final few months of the previous one.
The Padres believe the corrective procedure will help Cruz produce closer to the guy who had a 1.001 OPS from the start of the 2019 season through his first 72 games of 2021 and not the one who had a .729 OPS over his past 192 games.
Cruz is guaranteed a relatively modest $1 million this season. The cost made bringing in the 42-yearold with 459 career home runs a risk worth taking.
Cruz is busier than most ballplayers right now, and he will miss a significant portion of spring training.
This would ordinarily be a peculiar way to go about making a team. But the Padres knew he was playing in the World Baseball Classic when they signed him in January and that he was moonlighting as the general manager of the Dominican Republic team as well.
“I think if anybody can handle something like that, it’s him,” manager Bob Melvin said of the 18-year veteran. “… With his experience in the game, he’s able to handle both of those things. He’s done everything we’ve asked him and more here in camp.”
Cruz has regularly worked at first base during his first week in camp and even did at least one drill with outfielders. He has played one career game at first base and last played in the outfield (for four games) in 2018. And while it is conceivable he gets the occasional
chance at first during the season, the Padres seem to have plenty of fielders.
It won’t be until the season that the Padres really know what they have, when the right-handed-hitting Cruz primarily serves in a designated hitter platoon with the lefthanded-hitting Matt Carpenter.
For now, Cruz is getting to know his new teammates and balancing his two jobs.
He said the bulk of his work as GM is wrapping up, but “there’s always one or two players you have to be concerned about and just in case something unexpected will happen, what should be plan B.”
This will be his fourth WBC as a player. He was named GM of the team in July and went to work a couple weeks after that recruiting players and coaches for a squad that is considered the favorite in the tournament that runs for two weeks in March.
“It’s a big responsibility,” Cruz said. “As a country, (baseball) is what we love. It’s part of our culture, our DNA. So every move that you make, the whole country is expecting and (wants to) see what’s going on and what’s going to happen. So definitely, you have to take pride.”
Being ready for the season, he said, will not be a problem.
“You’ve got the urgency to be ready a little bit sooner because of the WBC,” he said. “I did the adjustment before I came here at home — hitting machines, started practice a little bit earlier than normal. The excitement of the WBC gets you going a little bit quicker than normal.”
Tatis ramping up
Fernando Tatis Jr. has appeared more than capable of doing all he has been asked to do so far in spring training.
“He looks great,” Melvin said. “I mean, it’s remarkable to me. Now, he’s one of the great athletes in all sports, but for not playing as long as he has … I think it’s been remarkable the progression he’s made with the injuries he’s had.”
Tatis, who did not play in 2022 due to injury and suspension, just hasn’t been asked to do enough yet to show he is ready to participate in Cactus League games.
“He wants to play yesterday, and he wants to play in the first game,” Melvin said. “He’s not going to play in the first game. It’ll be within the first week, but we want to make sure he does everything that he’s gonna have to acclimate to in games. There’s an instinctual component when you play, and we want to make sure that he checks all the boxes — trying to slide feet first, get him diving back into first, do a lot of things that he’s gonna have to (realize), ‘OK, that’s how that feels.’ And then once we get through all that you’ll see him in games. But he’s not ready to play in a game right now.”
Tatis, who underwent a labrum (left shoulder) repair in September and scaphoid (left wrist) repair in October, is allowed to play in spring training games. He will not be eligible to return from his PED suspension until the season’s 21st game, April 20 in Arizona. The Padres’ probable regular right fielder (and occasional center fielder), likely will stick to those spots in spring.
“I think it’s probably beneficial to just keep it in the outfield to start,” Melvin said. “We’ll see once we get a little bit later in spring. I think as far as health goes, a little less on his plate in the outfield than having to play shortstop. … Part of that easing him in probably is outfield exclusively to start.”
Notable
Rancho Bernardo High alumnus Cole Hamels, a four-time AllStar over his 15 major league seasons, participated in drills Wednesday after signing a minor league contract last week. Having not pitched in the majors since 2020, when he threw 31⁄3 innings for the Braves, Hamels is not expected to throw in spring training games. The hope seems to be that the lefthander will build up and be ready to pitch for the Padres at some point this summer.
• Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove threw a bullpen session Wednesday, less than 24 hours after having four wisdom teeth removed.
• Wind gusts made it seem much colder than the air temperature that hovered in the low 50s as the Padres worked out Wednesday morning. Most players wore hoodies and kept their hands in the pockets (some while holding hand warmers) as much as possible.