Padres Press Clips Thursday, March 16, 2017

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1 Padres Press Clips Thursday, March 16, 2017 Article Source Author Page Alex Dickerson sees spine specialist UT San Diego Lin 2 Healthy Alex Dickerson ready to prove worth in field UT San Diego Lin 3 Richard makes third spring start, Renfroe homers UT San Diego Lin 5 Renfroe shot highlights Padres' three-hr day MLB.com Sheldon 6 Padres' Richard has endured bumpy ride MLB.com Bloom 7 Padres roster prediction: Sorting out logjams MLB.com Cassavell 9 Dickerson's back to be examined by specialist MLB.com Cassavell 10 Padres Catcher Loses to Win NBC 7 Togerson 11 1

2 Alex Dickerson sees spine specialist BY: DENNIS LIN San Diego Union Tribune Seeking further clarity on the cause of Alex Dickerson s back tightness, the Padres sent the left fielder back to San Diego to visit a spine specialist on Wednesday. Dickerson has played in only one Cactus League game this spring, on Saturday. His back flared up again Sunday night, prompting the Padres to scratch him from Monday s lineup. We just thought it best to get him really thoroughly examined and figure out if there s anything different we need to do, manager Andy Green said. Even before he left camp, Dickerson s readiness for opening day was looking increasingly doubtful. Meanwhile, non-roster outfielder Jabari Blash, who entered Wednesday leading the team with five Cactus League home runs, has seen has chances of making the team rise. If Dickerson winds up missing significant time, it would be a blow for the Padres young lineup. The 26-year-old hit.257 with 10 home runs as a rookie. He s a big part of what we do, Green said. He s a very professional hitter that we had the expectation was going to get middle-of-the-order-type at-bats for us this season. Welcome back After playing alongside childhood idols in the World Baseball Classic, Luis Urias returned to the Padres clubhouse Wednesday morning and promptly cleared out his locker. The infield prospect was the lone cut of the day, reassigned to minor league camp. The move was inevitable. For Urias, who was the youngest player in San Diego s major league camp, the spring already has qualified as a success. (He had a) great experience (in the WBC), really upbeat, Green said. This is just about getting his season cranked up, getting ready to go. We think a lot of him and are optimistic for his future. Just needs to keep working hard to get here. Urias went 1-for-8 in Cactus League play and 1-for-6 in the WBC. Mexico s run at the tournament ended in controversy; a widely misunderstood tiebreaker rule kept the team from advancing to the second round by the slimmest of margins. Urias likely will open the season with Double-A San Antonio. Though only 19, he is one of the minors most advanced hitters and could continue moving quickly. He has primarily played 2

3 second base throughout his professional career, but the Padres are also looking at him as a potential shortstop option. There s not really one particular area of the game, Green said. He can continue to work on his shortstop play, but outside of that, it s a well-rounded baseball player. The Padres are down to 53 players in major league camp. Notable Catcher Austin Hedges (hamstring) resumed full participation in team workouts Wednesday. He is expected to start Friday s Cactus League game. Outfielders Manuel Margot (knee) and Collin Cowgill (ribcage) and infielder Ryan Schimpf (oblique) hit in the cage and were partial participants in Wednesday s workout. They re all feeling much better, Green said. Padres' rotation competition taking shape BY: DENNIS LIN San Diego Union Tribune The competition for the two openings in the Padres rotation has narrowed to what appears to be five candidates: right-handers Trevor Cahill, Jarred Cosart, Luis Perdomo and Paul Clemens; and left-hander Christian Friedrich. Manager Andy Green said Wednesday that right-handers Zach Lee and Tyrell Jenkins, both of whom were claimed off waivers over the winter, are probably fighting for a long-relief- or bullpen-type role at this point in time. Non-roster invitee Andre Rienzo is bidding for a similar job. Prospect Walker Lockett has impressed this spring, but the 22-year-old seems likely to begin the season with Triple-A El Paso. As you have to whittle it down, give innings to certain numbers of guys, we ve had to make those kind of decisions in time, Green said. Like Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin and Jered Weaver all three have been guaranteed rotation spots Cahill signed a one-year contract with the Padres largely because they offered an opportunity to start. Cahill, Green said, is looking very good in camp. The manager said the same of Perdomo, who made notable strides as a rookie last season. Possibly working against the 23-year-old is the fact that he has all his minor league options left, and in a rebuilding season, the Padres may opt to preserve service time with the former Rule 5 draftee. 3

4 Unlike Perdomo, Cosart, Friedrich and Clemens are out of options, limiting the Padres flexibility; these players must clear waivers before being sent to the minors. Cosart, remaining on a five-day schedule, started against Triple-A batters while the Padres were idle Tuesday. Cosart, who had a bone spur in his elbow surgically removed in October, threw 46 pitches over three-plus innings. I thought he looked very good, Green said. Friedrich and Clemens have had uglier results in recent Cactus League games, which, of course, do not provide the most accurate gauge. Still, less than three weeks before opening day, both pitchers could use clean outings to bolster their cases. Given that they may open the season with six or seven arms capable of starting, the Padres have considered the idea of deploying an opener in certain games a pitcher who would go through the opposing order roughly once before being replaced by an ideally opposite-handed starter. I think how we use our staff will be predicated on who makes the club, Green said. If you end up with guys that have the capability of starting in your bullpen, then the possibility to mix and match becomes an easier, more distinct possibility. I think we re open to anything. A look at the Padres other position races: Bullpen: Brad Hand, Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer are ticketed for the back end of the bullpen. Carter Capps, one year removed from Tommy John surgery, could challenge Maurer for the closer role, but the Padres might not push him to be ready for opening day. Catcher/potential reliever Christian Bethancourt has thrown well enough for the Padres to continue their experiment. Other bullpen candidates include Kevin Quackenbush, Jose Torres, Buddy Baumann, non-roster invitee Craig Stammen and Rule 5 draftee Miguel Diaz. Backup catcher(s): If Bethancourt, who is out of options, becomes a legitimate big-league reliever, it would allow the Padres to carry a third catcher, likely either Rule 5 er Luis Torrens or non-roster invitee Hector Sanchez. Sanchez has played well this spring, but the Padres also like Torrens upside. Second base/third base: The Padres have four players Yangervis Solarte, Ryan Schimpf, Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje for two positions. Solarte will start at one of them, and is expected to see significant time at second base after he returns from playing in the World Baseball Classic. In all likelihood, Schimpf or Spangenberg would start at whichever position Solarte doesn t occupy, though Schimpf first needs to get past a minor oblique injury. With the Padres contemplating a utility role for Rule 5 infielder Allen Cordoba, Asuaje, the youngest of the aforementioned quartet, may have to open the season in El Paso. Shortstop: Neither 23-year-old Luis Sardinas nor non-roster invitee Erick Aybar has distinguished himself in this competition. The Padres remain in search of a reliable shortstop. 4

5 Outfield: Left fielder Alex Dickerson (back tightness) saw a spine specialist in San Diego on Wednesday, and is sidelined indefinitely. That leaves Travis Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot as the Padres primary options, but Margot (knee) hasn t played in a Cactus League game since March 5. Jabari Blash has gone from being a long shot to make the team to having a good chance. Two other non-roster invitees, Collin Cowgill and Rafael Ortega, can play all three outfield positions and offer some major league experience. Richard makes third spring start, Renfroe homers BY: DENNIS LIN San Diego Union Tribune Padres left-hander Clayton Richard made his third Cactus League start Wednesday, allowing three runs in 3 1/3 innings of an 8-7 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Richard issued two walks and yielded five hits, including a two-run homer. I was kind of in and out of the delivery, but (catcher Hector Sanchez) and I were able to get through some things, Richard said. Probably wasn t as efficient as I would ve liked to be. Would ve been nice to get through that fourth inning. But I m healthy, everything feels good and making steps in the right direction. Through three outings, Richard has allowed 10 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, a line somewhat skewed by a rocky spring debut. Richard, one of the Padres few veterans, has said he is more focused on process than on exhibition results. Wednesday, he said, We went in trying to get guys out but I didn t want to rely on my sinker to do so. Still wanted to try to work with pitches that I don t necessarily rely on during the season, and throw more sliders or more change-ups. It was good that we got some work in with those pitches. I thought Clayton was solid, manager Andy Green said, kind of where we wanted him to be right now. At the plate, Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe launched his first Cactus League home run, a two-run shot to left-center. Sanchez went 2-for-3 with his second homer of the spring. Second baseman Cory Spangenberg also went 2-for-3, with a double. Rule 5 infielder Allen Cordoba drew three walks and stole two bases. Minor leaguer Edwin Moreno hit a three-run homer. In the bottom of the sixth, catcher and potential super-utility player Christian Bethancourt surrendered his first hits of the spring. Bethancourt, who had previously recorded three scoreless relief appearances, gave up a run on two singles. 5

6 It s a good thing he gave up a hit and a run, Green said. He needs to do that at some point in time. He s got to pitch into trouble sometimes and pitch out of trouble. They squared up a few baseballs against him, but that s the first time that s happened, so he s been pretty good. Renfroe shot highlights Padres' three-hr day BY: MARK SHELDON MLB.com GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A two-out error in the bottom of the eighth opened the door for the Reds to keep a rally alive for an 8-7 comeback victory over the Padres on Wednesday at Goodyear Ballpark. The Reds had a 5-4 advantage with one out in the top of the eighth when Minor Leaguer Edwin Moreno hit reliever Michael Lorenzen's 2-1 pitch well over the right-field wall for a three-run homer. In the bottom of the eighth against Kevin Quackenbush, Zach Vincej hit a solo homer to left field to cut the deficit to a run. With one out, Arismendy Alcantara grounded into a force play at second base, but shortstop Allen Cordoba's throwing error into the dugout allowed the tying run to score. San Diego had a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning when Cincinnati picked up three runs. Padres starter Clayton Richard gave up a two-run homer to left field by Zack Cozart. Later in the inning with two outs against reliever Carlos Fisher, Stuart Turner hit a triple and scored on Billy Hamilton's RBI single. Hamilton collected three hits in the game with two steals and scored a run on Joey Votto's first-inning single. Richard, the probable Opening Day starter for the Padres at Dodger Stadium on April 3, left with one out in the fourth having given up three runs on five hits with two walks and the homer. He struck out none. "I felt good," the veteran left-hander said. "I was in and out of my delivery But [catcher Hector Sanchez] and I were able to get through some things. I probably wasn't as efficient as we would like to be. It would have been nice to get through that fourth inning. But I'm healthy, everything feels good, and I'm making steps in the right direction, so that's good." Vying for a rotation spot, Reds left-hander Cody Reed pitched 3 2/3 innings with three runs (two earned), four hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. Reed allowed Hunter Renfroe's two-run home run in the first inning. "It was a changeup down. Here I am working on it again," said Reed, who struck out the side in the second inning. "Even [catcher Devin Mesoraco] came up to me and said, 'Changeup down, you've got to throw it if you want to pitch here all this year.' It's what I did. [Renfroe] took 6

7 advantage. I got behind, 1-0, and I threw it. If I got ahead, it could have been a different story. Other than that, I felt really good. I threw my slider for strikes, got a lot of swings and misses." The Padres evened the game at 4 in the top of the sixth when Hector Sanchez lifted a 0-2 pitch for a solo homer to right field against Drew Storen. Padres Up Next: Padres are back at Peoria Stadium against the Royals for a 1:10 p.m. PT start on MLB.TV. Veteran right-hander Trevor Cahill, still vying for one of the last two slots in the rotation, is slated to be on the bump. Reds Up Next: Following an off day on Thursday, the Reds will resume play at 6:05 p.m. ET Friday on as the visiting team vs. the Indians in Goodyear on MLB.TV. Votto likely will be in the starting lineup, and Brandon Finnegan is scheduled to be the starting pitcher. Padres' Richard has endured bumpy ride BY: BARRY M. BLOOM MLB.com GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It has been quite an odyssey for left-hander Clayton Richard since the last time he was with the Padres in He had left shoulder surgery. He had a tour in the Cubs' bullpen. And now he's back to doing what he does best, starting in the Major Leagues. Richard made his third Cactus League start Wednesday in an 8-7 Padres loss to the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. He left with one out in the fourth after giving up three runs on five hits and two walks, with no strikeouts. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but he's taking small steps. "I'm healthy. Everything feels good," said Richard, who missed the entire 2014 season after surgery to shave the clavicle in his left shoulder. "And I'm making steps in the right direction, so that's good." Richard was once the main cog in a 2009 deal that sent Jake Peavy to the White Sox. The Padres got Richard back last Aug. 6 three days after the Cubs cut him loose. Now he could very well be the Opening Day starter against the Dodgers on April 3 in Los Angeles, heading up a rotation that's very much in flux with little more than two weeks to go in the Cactus League portion of Spring Training. Considering his recent career path, that would be something. 7

8 "Oh, without a doubt," he said. "But no matter where I line up in the rotation, I'm excited to help this team wherever I can. If it's one through five, it doesn't matter. I'm ready to go out and help wherever that is." Considering where the Padres have gone as an organization in recent years, having Richard start the opener would be an interesting twist of fate. "I'm not handicapping that now. I'm not in position to start declaring those kinds of things," said second-year manager Andy Green. "He's in the mix for that, but the way I look at our rotation this year, whoever has that game, it's more or less one game." That's in stark difference compared to last season, when one of the first decisions Green made as manager was name Tyson Ross his Opening Day starter over James Shields before the first ball of camp was even tossed. The idea was to invest responsibility in Ross, the tall right-hander and former All-Star. Shields went along with the program, but not for the ride. The move didn't work. Ross broke down with shoulder problems of his own and never made another start. He had surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome this past October and is no longer with the team. Shields, meanwhile, was hit hard and traded to the White Sox on June 4. He left with seven losses and a 4.28 ERA. The remainder of his season wasn't any better. From all that trauma, opportunity came knocking for Richard, backed up in the rotation right now by Jered Weaver and Jhoulys Chacin, who both finished the 2016 season with the Angels. Back in San Diego, Richard made 11 appearances, nine of them starts. He split six decisions and had a 2.52 ERA. He has come a long way in the past year. Much like Rich Hill's path back from elbow and shoulder surgery, from reliever to starter through Boston, Oakland and now for the Dodgers. "The last two years, three years, man," the now 33-year-old Richard said. "I finally found my way back here. It's a little bit like Rich, another [University of] Michigan guy. He had some tough times and he got it put together. And he's throwing really well of late." Richard pitched almost five seasons for the Padres from the Peavy trade to the surgery and won 43 games. His best was 14-9 with a 3.75 ERA in 2010, the season the Padres were knocked out of the playoff picture by the Giants on the final day of the regular season. They haven't been close since. Imagine his surprise this past offseason when rumors started to swirl that Peavy might be coming back. It didn't happen, but it made for some interesting mind play. 8

9 "Eight years later? Who could ever have imagined something like that," Richard said. "Baseball is a strange game." And for some, an even stranger odyssey. Just ask Richard. Padres roster prediction: Sorting out logjams BY: A.J. CASSAVELL MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres have less than three weeks to trim their roster from 54 players to 25, no small task considering their infield logjam and with three Rule 5 picks still fighting for roster spots. One month into camp, here's a breakdown of how their Opening Day 25-man roster might shake out. Catcher: Austin Hedges, Christian Bethancourt, Luis Torrens Presuming his tight left hamstring has fully healed, Hedges has already locked down the starting job. Bethancourt, meanwhile, hasn't caught much, but he's still the clear favorite for the backup role. If his transition into a pitcher/catcher hybrid continues to run smoothly, that versatility could clear room on the roster for Torrens. The 20-year-old Rule 5 backstop has impressed behind the plate, even though he hasn't hit much. First base: Wil Myers Not that there was ever any doubt that Myers is the Padres' first baseman of the future. But he's hitting a cool.400/.545/.720 this spring for good measure. Brett Wallace could provide some Minor League depth, but the Padres are probably content letting third baseman Yangervis Solarte serve as Myers' backup. Second base: Cory Spangenberg, Ryan Schimpf Schimpf is continuing to battle tightness in his left oblique, while Spangenberg gets the bulk of the playing time between the two. There's also a chance Solarte slides over to second, leaving those two in a battle for third. But until Solarte can prove himself there, Schimpf and Spangenberg are second basemen, first and foremost. Third base: Solarte See above. Solarte has a spot in the infield locked up; the only question is where. He'll begin to see reps at second base as soon as he returns from the World Baseball Classic. If Venezuela 9

10 advances to the final round, the second-base experiment could potentially linger into the regular season. Shortstop: Luis Sardinas, Allen Cordoba, Erick Aybar Sardinas is battling for the starting shortstop job with 11-year-veteran Aybar. As it stands, the two are neck-and-neck, and Aybar has probably outperformed the 23-year-old Sardinas in camp. That said, the Padres are currently in the business of getting younger. In that regard, they'd be best served to give Sardinas a chance to state his case as shortstop of the future. As for Cordoba, his versatility could win him a roster spot. The 21-year-old Rule 5 selection can also play second, third and outfield. Outfield: Travis Jankowski, Alex Dickerson, Hunter Renfroe, Jabari Blash The absence of top prospect Manuel Margot is glaring on this list. But Blash has done too much this spring for the Padres to pass on him. Well, that and the fact that if Margot remains at Triple- A through April, the Padres would gain an extra year of team control. Collin Cowgill is also an option if Dickerson's back hasn't fully healed by Opening Day. Rotation: Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard, Jered Weaver, Trevor Cahill, Luis Perdomo Both manager Andy Green and general manager A.J. Preller have confirmed that they expect Chacin, Weaver and Richard in the Opening Day rotation. After that, Cahill and Perdomo have been the two most impressive rotation candidates this spring, though Jarred Cosart, who is coming off elbow surgery, could mount a push as he begins to work deeper into games. Bullpen: Brandon Maurer, Carter Capps, Brad Hand, Ryan Buchter, Cosart, Christian Friedrich, Miguel Diaz The first four are locks (so long as Capps is healthy). Diaz is a Rule 5 pick who we haven't seen much yet because of a blister issue. But it's a safe bet that the Padres will treat him the same way they treated Perdomo at the beginning of last season. That leaves two bullpen places -- and never mind that Cosart and Friedrich are starters. The Padres could get funky and use them early in games to flip matchups in their favor. In any case, both hurlers are out of options, and the Padres don't want to risk putting them through waivers. Dickerson's back to be examined by specialist BY: A.J. CASSAVELL MLB.com 10

11 PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres left fielder Alex Dickerson was sent back to San Diego on Wednesday to have his ailing back checked by a spine specialist, manager Andy Green said at the team's complex Wednesday. The ailment resurfaced after Dickerson worked out Sunday, and he was scratched from Monday's lineup against the Cubs, raising questions about his status for Opening Day. "Dickerson is seeing a spine specialist, who's going to look at his back more thoroughly and get an idea if there's anything that we need to do differently for him going forward," Green said. "He's a big part of what we do. He's a very professional hitter that we had the expectation was going to get middle-of-the-order-type at-bats for us this season, so that's a very important guy in the lineup." Dickerson, who had a slash line of.257/.333/.455 in his 2016 rookie season, was expected to receive the bulk of the playing time in left field this season. He missed the first two weeks of Cactus League play because of the back ailment before debuting as a designated hitter Saturday. Monday's game was supposed to be Dickerson's first appearance in the outfield. But his back began to stiffen following Sunday's workout. "Right now, since there was a relapse with it, you get more concerned," Green said. "If it was just a one-time, isolated incident, you don't think much of it. But with the tightening up of his back prior to his next scheduled start a few days back, we just thought it best to get him really thoroughly examined and figure out if there's anything different we need to do." Dickerson was called up for a stint in May, then called up to stay in late June. He slashed.303/.343/.621 in July, his first full month in the Majors, and was instrumental in the Padres' National League record-tying 25-game home run streak. At the end of that month, however, Dickerson collided with center fielder Travis Jankowski, hurting his hip and back in the process. After missing a few games, he played through the injury but mostly struggled the rest of the season. It's unclear whether the current back injury is related. Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot remain favorites to break camp with the big league club. That could leave Jabari Blash and Collin Cowgill fighting for Dickerson's presumed spot. Prospect Franchy Cordero may have an outside chance as well. Catcher Hedges cleared to play Green said Austin Hedges is healthy and has been cleared to start Friday against the Dodgers at Peoria Stadium in a 7:10 p.m. PT start. Hedges came out of last Thursday's game after two innings with a sore left hamstring. He sustained the injury trying to leg out a grounder in the hole between short and third. 11

12 "Hedges went through the paces [Wednesday] and feels great," Green said. "He's going through the workout as well, BP, a full go. He'll be off [Thursday] from games, and then the expectation is he starts in Friday night's game." Padres Catcher Loses to Win BY: DEREK TOGERSON NBC 7 Austin Hedges is the Padres starting catcher. That is not open to discussion. The backup job, however, is a bit of an interesting discussion. In 2016 the Friars signed Hector Sanchez off waivers from the White Sox when they needed a little catching depth behind Derek Norris and Christian Bethancourt. It turned out to be a nice move. Sanchez hit.265 in 28 games with the Padres. His production and ability to handle the pitching staff are big reasons the team has been trying Bethancourt as a relief pitcher during Spring Training. But when the 27-year-old catcher arrived at Spring Training this year he was not the same guy they thought they were getting. He was a whole lot smaller. Sanchez completely redesigned his body with an off-season workout and diet plan. The most important thing was to eat healthy, said Sanchez, who is batting.300 with a pair of home runs in Cactus League play. After the season last year I was overweight. I put my mind to working hard and losing some weight and I m really happy with that. Sanchez didn t just lose a little weight. He lost 31 pounds and shed 14% body fat. I have to be honest, that was not easy, said the svelte Sanchez. Especially when you play winter ball a lot of guys around you are eating fried food and you re in there trying to do the best you can. That was not easy but I m really proud of what I did. Losing all that weight was good for the Venezuela native mentally and even better for him physically. I feel great. I feel more strong and healthy. I m more flexible when I m blocking balls and running; it s way different. I really feel good right now. For a position as physically grueling as catcher it is extremely important to keep the body in good shape. Although no backstop ever starts all 162 games Sanchez is preparing himself as if that is going to be the case. 12

13 You have to be light, especially for your knee. You have to squat a lot so you have to be healthy because if you re overweight it s impossible to catch 162 games. It s more important to be in shape when you re a catcher. With Hedges and Sanchez the Padres should be in good shape behind the plate. 13