The Padres left Monday night with a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 12 innings, and the frustration was baked in well before the final out. San Diego went to the 10th, 11th and 12th innings with the ghost runner and never pushed across a run, dropping to 71-61 on the season.
The day also brought a roster shuffle. Before the game, the Padres sent Sung-Mun Song back to Triple-A after a rough stretch at the plate.
He had hit just .095 over his last 15 games. To fill the spot, San Diego selected the contract of outfielder Dustin Harris, who was batting .350 with a 1.039 OPS in 29 games at the highest minor league level.
Another move became official as well: the Padres released a pitcher who was once with the Los Angeles Dodgers and had been trying to engineer a comeback. His last MLB action before this year came in 2017, but a 12.08 ERA in five Triple-A appearances made the return attempt a dead end.
Amid all of that, Craig Stammen offered a strong endorsement of Ty France, who is hitting .294 over his last 15 games and is set for free agency after the season. Stammen pointed to the way France has blended into the room and what he has brought with him from stops around the league.
“He’s been around a lot of different clubhouses,” Stammen said. “He was here when he was a young player, and he’s fitting in with the guys that he’s played with in the past. And I think he’s taken things from the other places that he’s been - Toronto last year, Minnesota last year, Cincinnati, Seattle - and brought some of that fun and that energy and that leadership into our clubhouse, and I think his influence on those guys is pretty amazing.”
France is on an expiring $1.35 million contract, and with the way he is contributing now, the Padres would likely have to pay up if they want both his bat and Gold Glove-caliber defense beyond this year.
In Other News...
Manny Machado Issue Just Became A Bigger Padres Concern
Manny Machados hand has become a little more than a day-to-day nuisance for the Padres, even if he has kept taking the field. Craig Stammen confirmed Machado is dealing with a bruise on the inside of his index finger, the kind of small injury that can still be aggravating every time he makes contact, and the club is planning to have him wear a protective sleeve as it keeps an eye on how he responds.
Machado has continued to play every game, which is part of why this bears watching closely rather than sounding the alarm immediately. For a Padres team that leans on his presence in the middle of the lineup and on the infield, any lingering irritation that affects his swing is the sort of issue that can quietly grow into something more consequential if it does not ease up. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Machado Issue Just Raised The Stakes For Padres Push
Manny Machado is dealing with a bruise on the inside of his index finger, a small injury that can have a bigger effect than it sounds like for a hitter who lives with hard contact on every swing. Padres manager Craig Stammen said Machado will wear a protective sleeve and is day to day, which at least gives San Diego some hope that the issue can be managed without a longer interruption.
The immediate question is whether Machado will be in the lineup for the next game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. For a Padres club trying to keep its push on track, even a short-term absence from the middle of the order and the left side of the infield would force a quick adjustment, and the uncertainty now hangs over every at-bat he takes until the hand settles down. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Reach A Crucial Week With Two Rotation Arms
The Padres are entering a pivotal stretch on the pitching side, with both Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove moving forward in their rehab work this week. Pivetta is set to start a rehab game Tuesday at Single-A Lake Elsinore, picking up his progression again after a recent setback caused by elbow tightness, while Musgrove is lined up for a Thursday outing with Triple-A El Paso.
For San Diego, the timing matters because the rotation has been waiting on help from two arms with different but equally important paths back. Musgroves next start could be his final one before a major league return, and Pivettas restart offers a fresh sign that he is getting back on track after the interruption, even if the team still has to see how his body responds in game action. [Read more 🡒]