Padres Press Clips Friday, March 17, 2017

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1 Padres Press Clips Friday, March 17, 2017 Article Source Author Page Green frustrated with Solarte's lack of WBC playing time AP Romero 2 Chacin starts strong, Dominicans finish stronger UT San Diego Sanders 3 WBC notebook: Castillo gives glimpse of what UT San Diego Kenney 5 could be for Padres Wil Myers exits game with neck spasm UT San Diego Lin 7 Dickerson diagnosed with disc protrusion, will miss UT San Diego Lin 8 opening day Padres sign Cuban lefty Osvaldo Hernandez to AP AP Staff 11 minor-league deal Myers leaves game with neck tightness MLB.com Schlegel 11 Chacin's gem vs. DR a case for SD's rotation MLB.com Kelly 12 Jankowski keeps up hot spring for Padres MLB.com Schlegel 14 Bulging disk sidelines Dickerson for 3-4 weeks MLB.com Schlegel 15 Padres sign Cuban left-hander Hernandez MLB.com Cassavell 16 1

2 Green frustrated with Solarte's lack of WBC playing time BY: JOSE M. ROMERO Associated Press PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) San Diego Padres manager Andy Green is unhappy Yangervis Solarte has not seen much playing time with Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. Solarte has gotten just one at-bat, appeared in three games and scored two runs. "The only frustrating part about the WBC is when you send one of your best players, and they function just as a pinch runner," Green said Thursday. "I know he loves representing his country, loves being at Petco (Park) in front of the home fans, I know it's been a tremendous opportunity for him. From my perspective, guy's probably going to hit third, fourth or fifth for us in the lineup and has had one at-bat in the last 10 days, has pinch run twice. That's not exactly how you want to see your players utilized at this point in time in spring training." Green said Solarte will have to get back into game shape when he returns to camp. "He's going to play with his country until the end and I hope it goes well for him, but he's not getting a lot of opportunity there," Green said. Green said he respects the decisions of Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel, yet is frustrated. "The guy pinch runs, and that's all he does. Coming off a hamstring issue in the past, that's like, an interesting utilization of him," Green said. Solarte could move from third to second base before the season opens. Green said the Padres won't have outfielder Alex Dickerson for the rest of spring training and the start of the season, due to a bulging disk in his back. Dickerson played in one spring training game, experienced back stiffness and received an epidural injection this week, which will keep him out of action for at least three-to-four weeks. "He's kind of on active rest for the next few weeks," Green said. "We're happy it's not surgery." San Diego also is without outfielder Manny Margot, catcher Austin Hedges and infielder Ryan Schimpf. Margot (knee soreness) and Schimpf (oblique) are a few days from playing, and Hedges (hamstring injury) is to start Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 2

3 With Dickerson out, Jabari Blash could make the opening-day roster. Blash entered Thursday with a.308 batting average and the team lead in homers (five) and RBIs (13). "He worked really hard last year and this offseason to get ready for the chance this year to get a lot of at-bats in the big leagues," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said of Dickerson. "It's going to be a long season anyway, so hopefully he's able to get the low back situation straightened out and he's able to go out and play after the six-week period or so and he's able to have a nice year for us." Green also plans to try utility infielder Allen Cordoba in the outfield and give infielder Cory Spangenberg a few looks in there during workouts. Chacin starts strong, Dominicans finish stronger BY: JEFF SANDERS San Diego Union Tribune It wasn t so long ago that the Padres front office cut their losses with the enigmatic Edinson Volquez, his penchant for mixing flashes of brilliance with fits of frustration teetering too far in the wrong direction at the end of a brief stay at Petco Park. The good Volquez showed up Thursday night for the Dominican Republic. In a 3-0 win over Venezuela, this version was also only a smidge better than counterpart Jhoulys Chacin, the Padres latest flirtation with an electric but inconsistent right arm looking to reboot a career. The 29-year-old Chacin even traded zeros with the 33-year-old Volquez until Gregory Polanco led off the bottom of the fifth with a low-lining homer that got the Dominican Republic started on its fourth straight win in head-to-head World Baseball Classic meetings with Venezuela. More importantly, the Dominicans buoyed by Robinson Cano s run-scoring single in the seventh and Nelson Cruz s eighth-inning homer secured their first win of the second round heading into Saturday s matchup with the Americans (1-0). The Venezuelans, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 in Pool F play and are on the brink of elimination after Volquez and five relievers handed them their second shutout of the tournament. Don t blame Chacin A favorite for the Padres rotation after signing a $1.75 million deal this offseason, the veteran right-hander struck out three, walked three one intentional and allowed just three hits to give Venezuela a fighting chance against an All-Star-laden lineup in his unofficial 2017 Petco Park debut. 3

4 I feel good; I pitched good, Chacin said after his second WBC appearance and fourth outing this spring. I ve been here before with other teams, but it felt nice to pitch in my new home park. My pitches were good. Everything was fine. I made one mistake and they hit it out. The effort was certainly an improvement on his first WBC appearance, a relief outing in which he served up home runs to Puerto Rico s Carlos Correa and Yadier Molina while allowing five runs over 3 2/3 innings in a mercy-rule loss. He made some mistakes up in the strike zone, Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel said before Thursday s game. One of the things we talk to the pitchers all the time about is against these kind of lineups that we're facing right now with Dominican and the American team, and the Puerto Ricans, if we make a mistake up in the strike zone, we're going to pay. So we have to make sure that we execute the plan as close as we can and then have the opportunity for our team to score some runs. The message hit home Thursday night. Until the fifth, that is. A one-time Rockies prospect who fell well short of his potential in Colorado, Chacin recorded five of his 13 outs Thursday on the ground and didn t allow any runners to advance past second until Polanco started the fifth with his first homer of the tournament. A flyout and an ensuing walk to Jose Reyes left Chacin s workload at 87 pitches (48 strikes). Chacin recorded his biggest out in the third with runners on first and second, freezing Jose Bautista with an 83 mph slider through the top of the strike zone. He also struck out Nelson Cruz twice in putting his first WBC outing in the rear-view mirror. He made a mistake a home run, new Padres teammate Yangervis Solarte said after going 2- for-2 off Venezuela s bench. That happens in this game. But he pitched really, really good. This is the second time that Chacin who owns a 4.81 ERA in three seasons since winning 14 games in 2013 has represented Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. It is a big deal for me, for my country, Chacin said earlier this spring. It's always an honor to represent my country. I asked the Padres and they said yes. That made it a no-brainer for me to go. On the other side, Volquez struck out six of the first 13 batters he faced, allowed just four hits, walked two and escaped with 4 1/3 scoreless innings after left-hander Fernando Abad fetched an inning-ending double play to get out of the fifth inning. The owner of a 6.01 ERA when the Padres released him late in 2013, Volquez went on to pitch in the playoffs for the Pirates and win a World Series ring with the Royals. He signed a two-year, 4

5 $22 million deal with the Marlins this offseason and has allowed just one earned run in eight innings in the tournament after setting the tone for the pitching staff Thursday. We have a great bullpen, and (Volquez) did a great job today, Dominican manager Tony Pena said. He did a great job today. After (him) I was ready to go with all those guys right from the get-go. I told them before the game I will not save anybody today. I want to use everybody at any time. Just be ready. All told, the Dominicans fanned 14 in the game, including eight by a bullpen than limited Venezuela to four hits over the final 4 2/3 innings. Two came off the bat of Solarte, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, singled to right and remained in the game in left field. Two innings later, Solarte s bloop single to left with a runner on first brought the tying run to the plate. It was only his third official at-bat of the tournament, a lack of playing time that has frustrated Padres manager Andy Green. They gave me an opportunity, said Solarte, who is playing in his first WBC. I just tried to do my best. I waited for that at-bat but we lost. Maybe Saturday. WBC notebook: Castillo gives glimpse of what could be for Padres BY: KIRK KENNEY San Diego Union Tribune Those prospects the Padres have been touting in their farm system? One of them already looks comfortable on the mound at Petco Park. Jose Castillo, a 21-year-old Venezuelan, has yet to pitch beyond Single-A Lake Elsinore. You wouldn t have known it the way he pitched Wednesday night. Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel went to Castillo in a tight spot in the sixth inning against the U.S., bringing the 6-foot-4 left-hander in with two on and one out. Castillo promptly got back-to-back strikeouts of All-Stars Christian Yelich and Nolan Arenado to end the inning and protect a then 1-0 lead. Castillo has a fastball that touches the mid-90s and an impressive changeup. The curveball he struck out Arenado on didn t look too bad, either. Padres manager Andy Green had his eye on Castillo the other night from Peoria. 5

6 He did great, Green said. I think the whole organization s excited. I passed (Padres roving pitching instructor) Gorman Heimueller in the hallway today, and he was raving about that opportunity for a young guy to be on that stage, face those kind of hitters and do so well. That s exciting to see him do that. Castillo was acquired before the 2015 season, coming to the organization in the three-team trade that brought Wil Myers to the Padres. Castillo was 2-2 last year with a 2.03 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 40 innings over 20 relief appearances spread across three Single-A teams. He had a great year last year, said Sam Geaney, Padres director of player development. He pitched in some meaningful situations in winter ball in Venezuela. Obviously, it s great to see him pitching in these tight situations against some of the best players in baseball. Where Castillo will be assigned this season has not yet been determined, although the confidence boost from the WBC experience is certain to quicken his development. It definitely does, Geaney said. Things didn t go as well for Castillo on Thursday night, when he allowed a run in a seventhinning appearance against the Dominican Republic. Still, Vizquel has come to appreciate the mound presence of Castillo, who had a save against Italy in the first round of the WBC. He s been so calm and tranquil, Vizquel said. He s been super effective not only with the right-handers, left-handers, especially when crucial elements where I gave him the opportunity to take people out, he s been pitching incredibly well. What he has demonstrated with his looks, his calmness to move on the mound, that has given me trust to use him in that manner. I see him (being) very effective. Standing tall Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman is the U.S. starting pitcher Friday night against Puerto Rico, although Stroman could just as easily have been in the other dugout. His mother is Puerto Rican. Stroman, who was born in New York, where his father is a police detective, initially got some grief for his decision. I got ribbed for a little bit on Twitter here for a while, Stroman said, but at the end of the day, I m American. I m going to play for my country. I played for the 2011 collegiate national team, so it just felt right playing for USA. So I think I made the right decision. My mom was happy with the decision. 6

7 The 5-foot-8, Stroman is one of just a handful of pitchers shorten than 5-10 to start a game in the majors since His short stature inspired a side business. Stroman had the phrase Height Doesn t Measure Heart and HDMH trademarked two years ago and sells caps and shirts labeled with the phrase and acronym. Scene A fan with his family stopped just before stepping on an elevator to the upper deck and had an usher look at their tickets. Good thing. The usher pointed them to the Toyota Terrace. The man excitedly turned to his family and said: We re sitting in a suite, not with the pigeons.... and heard Dominican Republic fans behind the team s first base dugout broke into song in the third inning, chanting the soccer anthem Ole, ole, ole, ole ole, ole. It was understandable. The score was 0-0 at the time. Wil Myers exits game with neck spasm BY: DENNIS LIN San Diego Union Tribune The Padres recent spate of injuries expanded Thursday to include their most important player, though this one apparently was mild in nature. First baseman Wil Myers left San Diego s Cactus League game against Kansas City with what manager Andy Green called a neck spasm. The spasm resolved, and I don t think there s any long-term concern there, Green said after the Padres 13-3 loss to the Royals. The report I got was he s completely fine. Batting in the bottom of the fourth, Myers reached on a fielding error. After he went to third base on a double by Hunter Renfroe, Green went on the field and escorted Myers back to the dugout. The first baseman was replaced by pinch-runner Dusty Coleman. Between the fourth and fifth innings, Myers left the stadium, walking alongside a team trainer. (Third base coach) Glenn Hoffman was pulling me out of the dugout to come look at (Myers), and I just thought it best to pull him off the field, Green said. He said he stepped on first base and kind of tried to look back, and it kind of grabbed on him. The report I got afterwards is he was having a little muscle spasm in there, and it resolved. He felt completely fine at this point in time. 7

8 It does not sound as if Myers will miss much time, if any. Green said late Thursday afternoon that Myers was telling team trainers he wants to play (Friday). Even before Myers exit, the afternoon had gotten off to a poor start for the Padres. Right-hander Trevor Cahill, who d been scheduled to pitch four or five innings, lasted just 1 1/3, allowing seven runs, four earned, on five hits and a walk. Cahill threw 45 pitches, including 30 in the top of the second. Cahill allowed an unearned run in the first. The Padres committed three errors over the course of his brief outing. Honestly, the first inning, he was outstanding. We didn t make any plays behind him, Green said. The next inning, I think because of not making plays, leaving some pitches in the zone, they battled him well. Wasn t as sharp as he has been. But I like what I see out of Trevor overall, and today just wasn t a good day. After his departure, Cahill threw two innings of 15 pitches apiece in the bullpen. Another rotation candidate, right-hander Paul Clemens, relieved Cahill and gave up four runs over 3 2/3 innings. Dickerson diagnosed with disc protrusion, will miss opening day BY: DENNIS LIN San Diego Union Tribune Padres left fielder Alex Dickerson has been diagnosed with a disc protrusion in his back and is scheduled for re-evaluation in three to four weeks, manager Andy Green said Thursday. A timetable for Dickerson s return is unclear, though it certainly will come after opening day. Dickerson, who had been sidelined most of the spring by lower back tightness, made his Cactus League debut Saturday. His back flared up again Sunday night, prompting a visit to a spine specialist. Green said Dickerson s condition, also known as a bulging disc, will not require surgery. He was given an epidural (injection) yesterday, Green said. He s on active rest for the next few weeks. 8

9 Dickerson, who previously had been given an MRI, received a CT scan Wednesday. Doctors believe what was done with him up until this point was exactly right, to see if he could get back on the field and play through it, Green said. Now that the latest course of action has Dickerson sidelined indefinitely, non-roster invitee Jabari Blash is a strong candidate to make the team. Blash, who started in right field Thursday, entered the afternoon tied for the Cactus League lead with five home runs. Obviously, it opens up opportunity for Jabari, Green said, adding that the Padres will give Rule 5 infielder Allen Cordoba more looks in the outfield. We might start entertaining the idea of hitting fly balls to (second/third baseman) Cory Spangenberg to check his versatility level at this point in time, try to give ourselves as many options as possible going into the start of the season. The Padres are likely to break camp with young outfielders Hunter Renfroe, and Travis Jankowski. Top prospect Manuel Margot is also in the mix, though the Padres could opt to begin his season in Triple-A. In the next couple weeks, we re going to bounce outfielders around a little more consistently, Green said. We ll just try a number of different configurations and see what fits us best in the next few weeks. As a rookie last season, Dickerson hit.257 with 10 home runs. The 26-year-old isn t the only Padres outfielder on the shelf. Margot hasn t played in a Cactus League game since March 5 because of a tweaked left knee. He resumed full workout participation Thursday and could play in a game in the next few days, Green said. Collin Cowgill, a non-roster outfielder like Blash, is making his way back from a minor ribcage injury. Signing official The Padres made the signing of Cuban pitching prospect Osvaldo Hernandez official on Thursday. The 18-year-old left-hander received a $2.5 million bonus. He comes at a total cost of $5 million for the Padres, who will pay a 100 percent tax for spending beyond their international bonus pool. Hernandez spent 2016 in Cuba s 18-and-under national league, posting a 0.92 ERA, 84 strikeouts and 23 walks in 68 2/3 innings. In October, he pitched for Cuba in the COPABE 18U Pan American Championship in Mexico. He faced the United States twice, allowing three runs over 9 2/3 innings. (International scouting director) Chris Kemp and his group did a really good job, General Manager A.J. Preller said. He s a 5-foot-10 left-hander, but it s a really good delivery and arm action. He s a strike-thrower. His velocity has kept increasing from where we ve seen him over 9

10 the last five or six months. He s got an advanced feel for an 18-year-old pitcher. We do see him as a starting-pitching option. Hernandez must obtain a visa before traveling to the U.S. The Padres hope he can begin his professional career by June. Since July 2, the Padres have committed roughly $80 million, including overage taxes, to signing a gargantuan class of international prospects. Hernandez is among a half-dozen Cuban prospects that have been added to the farm system. He may not be as famous as some of the other guys we signed this past summer, but from an ability standpoint he stacks up really well with some of the other pitchers we ve signed, Preller said. Biking accident Green disclosed Thursday that left-handed reliever Buddy Baumann has not pitched in a game since March 9 because he had a bicycle accident last weekend. I don t think there s long-term concerns, Green said. He s just been kind of stiff since the accident. I thinkv the front tire blew on him, and he kind of flipped off the front of the bike and landed on his left shoulder. We had him looked at, and he s fine structurally. It s just taking some time to get back to throwing. Baumann has made four one-inning appearances this spring, allowing one earned run. Notable Reliever Carter Capps, barely a year removed from Tommy John surgery, made his spring debut in a backfield game Thursday. He was just getting through his work, Green said. First time out against hitters in a game setting, and felt fine. It is unclear when Capps will make his Cactus League debut. Right-hander Jered Weaver will start a backfield game Friday afternoon. Backend relievers Brad Hand, Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer are scheduled to appear in the same game. Righthanded pitching prospect Walker Lockett and left-hander Christian Friedrich will pitch in Friday night s Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria Stadium. 10

11 Padres sign Cuban lefty Osvaldo Hernandez to minorleague deal BY: AP STAFF AP PEORIA, Ariz. -- Cuban left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez has agreed to a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres. The 18-year-old had a 0.92 ERA in 68 2/3 innings in Cuba's under-18 league last year, striking out 84 and walking 23. At the U-18 Pan American championship in October, he allowed three runs and five hits over 9 2/3 innings in two appearances against the U.S. "He's a 5-foot-10 left-hander, but it's really good delivery, good arm action. He's a strike-thrower. His velocity kept increasing from when we've seen him over the last five or six months," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. "We do see him as a starting pitching option. "When he's able to come to the States and come into the country and pitch, he'd be a guy that we'd be looking to move through the system and see where he stacks up." Preller said he hopes Hernandez can start pitching in the minors by early June. Myers leaves game with neck tightness BY: JOHN SCHLEGEL MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres first baseman Wil Myers left Thursday's Cactus League game against the Royals with neck tightness, but manager Andy Green said Myers was feeling better shortly after returning to the dugout. Myers had reached first base on a fielding error and apparently turned his head at an awkward time while hitting the bag. He stayed in the game, but after he went to third on a Hunter Renfroe double, Green was called out to third base by coach Glenn Hoffman, and Green escorted Myers back to the dugout. 11

12 "We thought it best to pull him off the field and let the spasm resolve," Green said after Thursday's 13-3 loss to the Royals. "I don't think there's any long-term concern. In the dugout he said he was completely fine." Myers walked back to the team's complex with a member of the training staff. Green said he already was lobbying to be back on the field on Friday. Worth noting Infielder Ryan Schimpf has been out of game action since Mar. 5 with left oblique tightness, but he was back on the practice field Thursday. His patience to let the injury heal, while tested, has paid off. "We're all wired to stretch it," Schimpf said. "That's kind of how it works. You've always got the itch to go out there and work. Any time anyone has something come up, you want to be healthy so you can't push it." Green said it won't be long before Schimpf will be ready to roll in Cactus League competition. He last played in a game on Mar. 5, his fourth appearance of the spring. "In the next few days, we hope to get him back in a game," Green said. Right-hander Carter Capps, making his way back from Tommy John surgery, made his first appearance in a game situation Thursday on a back field at the Padres' complex, and Green said all went according to plan. Veteran right-hander Jered Weaver will make his next outing in a Minor League game on Friday rather than playing in the stadium against the NL West-rival Dodgers. He'll be joined by Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Brad Hand. Meanwhile, Austin Hedges will be back behind the plate for the first time since March 9 in the night game vs. the Dodgers, hoping to catch five innings or so. Lefty Buddy Baumann was involved in a bicycle accident -- his front tire blew out and he flew off the bike -- and has been off for three days with soreness related to the accident, but Green said he has no structural damage. Chacin's gem vs. DR a case for SD's rotation BY: MATT KELLY MLB.com Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is preparing to pitch for his fifth team in four seasons in 2017, but his newest squad -- the Padres -- may be catching him at an optimal time. 12

13 Team Venezuela manager Omar Vizquel gave Chacin the ball for what was essentially a mustwin game against Team Dominican Republic on Thursday in Pool F action of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Though Chacin ended up the hard-luck loser in Venezuela's 3-0 loss to the Dominican, the righty brought his "A" game -- in terms of both his final line and by Statcast metrics -- while facing a lineup that essentially doubles as an All-Star team. Chacin had seen his four-seam velocity hover between mph for several years until it spiked to 90.9 mph in his highest since 2012, according to pitch F/X data. But he was at another level on Thursday night at Petco Park. With the adrenaline pumping, the 29-year-old averaged 92.9 mph on his four-seamer, according to Statcast -- two miles per hour faster than his average last season, and faster than his average for any of his eight seasons in the Major Leagues. Rules for 2017 Classic Added velocity translated to better results for Chacin, who posted a 4.81 ERA and 18.8 percent strikeout rate that were below league average last season. He gave up only one run -- a solo homer by Gregory Polanco -- and struck out three over 4 1/3 innings, including two punchouts on the four-seam fastball. Overall, the D.R.'s powerful lineup went hitless in five at-bats that ended against Chacin's four-seamer, while his only run-scoring mistake, to Polanco, came on a twoseam fastball. "I think it was an incredible pitching game [for] Chacin," Vizquel said afterward. "He was incredible in this game. The whole game plan, he executed it precisely." With the back end of the Padres' Opening Day rotation still very much in the air, Chacin will take every advantage he can get to win a spot. If he can maintain this newfound velocity through the rest of March, that extra life on his fastball could be the edge he needs. The World Baseball Classic runs through Wednesday. In the U.S., games air live exclusively in English on MLB Network and on an authenticated basis via MLBNetwork.com/watch, while ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN provide the exclusive Spanish-language coverage. MLB.TV Premium subscribers in the U.S. have access to watch every tournament game live on any of the streaming service's 400-plus supported devices. The tournament is being distributed internationally across all forms of television, internet, mobile and radio in territories excluding the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan. Get tickets for games in San Diego's Petco Park and the Championship Round at Dodger Stadium, while complete coverage -- including schedules, video, stats and gear -- is available at WorldBaseballClassic.com. 13

14 Jankowski keeps up hot spring for Padres BY: JOHN SCHLEGEL MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- Alex Gordon led the way from the top of the lineup as the Royals pounced on the Padres early in their Cactus League meeting at Peoria Stadium on Thursday afternoon, racking up an eight-run second inning en route to a 13-3 victory. Whit Merrifield's RBI triple highlighted the second-inning outburst, which included a pair of Padres errors. Gordon led off by reaching on an error and then scored in the first, had an RBI single in the second, and added a two-run home run in the fifth. Padres starter Trevor Cahill, who had been impressive in camp going into Thursday's assignment, didn't make it out of the second. He was charged with seven runs, four of them earned, on five hits, leaving after he had reached 45 pitches. "Honestly, the first inning was outstanding," Padres manager Andy Green said. "We didn't make any plays behind him. I like what I see out of Trevor overall. Today just wasn't a good day." Right-hander Josh Staumont, a 2015 second-round Draft pick who came to camp as a non-roster invitee, made the start for the Royals and shined with three shutout innings on just two hits, striking out five and walking none. "Hopefully, I'm building this spring so that each performance is getting better," Staumont said. Gordon, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, reached on a Luis Sardinas error to begin the game and scored on a Paulo Orlando groundout to give the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first. Orlando's RBI single in the second knocked Cahill out of the game, and Kansas City wound up sending 13 hitters to the plate in the eight-run frame. Padres first baseman Wil Myers left the game with neck tightness. Luis Sardinas drove home the Padres' first run with an RBI single in the fourth, and Travis Jankowski went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk. Royals Up Next: Nathan Karns toes the rubber for the Royals on Friday for a 3:05 p.m. CT tilt with the Brewers. It's Karns' fourth Cactus League start, and he was roughed up a bit in his previous two, allowing a combined six earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven over five innings. Watch the game on MLB.TV. 14

15 Padres Up Next: With Jared Weaver getting his work done in a Minor League game Friday, Walter Lockett will be making the start against the Dodgers in a 7:10 p.m. PT start under the lights at Peoria Stadium in the second of three night games for the Padres this spring. Bulging disk sidelines Dickerson for 3-4 weeks BY: JOHN SCHLEGEL MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- The news could have been worse but it wasn't good for Padres outfielder Alex Dickerson, who has been diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back and will be out 3-4 weeks. Padres manager Andy Green said the good news was that Dickerson won't need surgery but acknowledged that it's a significant setback for the second-year player who showed strong offensive promise last year as a rookie. "He won't be breaking [camp] to start the season with us, and then at 3-4 weeks, it'll take time to get back after that," Green said. "So he's kind of rest and active rest for the next few weeks. From the good side of things, we're happy it's not surgery." Green said Dickerson received an epidural injection from the spinal specialist he visited while back in San Diego, and Dickerson is expected back in camp Thursday. Dickerson had been held out of game action with the injury before playing in a game last Saturday, but the injury recurred, setting in motion the series of events that led to his diagnosis. Dickerson batted.257/.333/.455 with 10 homers in 84 games as a rookie last season. He struggled after sustaining a hip injury from a warning-track collision with Travis Jankowski on July 29. It's unclear whether this injury is related at all to that one. With Dickerson out, other outfielders in camp have a window of opportunity to get into the starting mix come Opening Day, and the Padres might think outside the box for other options. "Obviously, it opens up opportunity for Jabari [Blash] and it opens up opportunity where we'll look at Allen Cordoba in the outfield a little bit more -- he's playing shortstop today," Green said Thursday morning. "We might start entertaining the idea to start hitting fly balls to [infielder] Cory Spangenberg to check his versatility level at this point in time, and we'll try to give ourselves as many options as possible going into the season." 15

16 Padres sign Cuban left-hander Hernandez BY: A.J. CASSAVELL MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- Nearly nine months after the signing period opened, the Padres haven't yet slowed their international spending spree. On Thursday, the club signed 18-year-old Cuban left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez. According to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, the deal is worth $2.5 million. Hernandez features a four-pitch mix, with a fastball that touches the mid-90s and three aboveaverage offspeed pitches. "I think [director of international scouting] Chris Kemp and his people on the international side did a really good job," Padres GM A.J. Preller said. "He's a 5-foot-10 left-hander, but he's got a really good delivery, good arm action. He's a strike-thrower, and his velocity kept increasing as we saw him more over the last five or six months. He's got an advanced feel for an 18-year-old pitcher." Because the Padres have already blown past their international bonus pool allotment, the Hernandez signing comes with a 100 percent luxury tax -- essentially making the deal worth $5 million to the club. Already, the Friars have inked seven of MLBPipeline's top 30 international prospects from Left-hander Adrian Morejon -- who received an $11 million bonus -- headlines that group and is the organization's No. 5 prospect overall. Outfielder Jorge Ona (No. 9), shortstop Luis Almanzar (No. 20) and outfielder Jeisson Rosario (No. 21) also check in on the Padres' top 30 list. But the Padres' investment in the amateur international market runs deeper than just a few names at the top. The club has signed more than 40 players during the current signing period, and ownership has spent north of $80 million (including penalties), a total that more than doubles that of the next closest club. "Again, it shows the emphasis of what we're trying to do, building an organization that's strong top to bottom and really having as much prospect depth as we can in the system," Preller said. In 2016, Hernandez pitched for Cuba during the 18-and-under Pan American Championship in Mexico. He faced the United States twice, allowing three runs on five hits in 9 2/3 innings. 16