Song leaves with oblique injury; Buehler debuts

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Sung-Mun Song’s shortstop debut came to an earlier-than-expected end on Thursday -- though not before he launched his first home run of the spring.

Song, the newly signed utilityman, exited the Padres’ 27-6 Cactus League beatdown of the Mariners on Thursday with tightness in his right oblique -- the same oblique he’d injured during the offseason. The Padres hoped that Song had moved fully past the injury, but he does not appear to have done so.

It’s unclear whether there was an acute recurrence of the injury or whether Song is merely managing some soreness as his workload has begun to increase. Padres manager Craig Stammen called Song’s exit from Thursday’s game “precautionary.”

The Padres signed Song to a four-year deal in December, viewing him as a much-needed versatile roster piece. He played third, second and first base for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization. The Padres are planning to add shortstop and left field to his plate as well.

Song estimated that he hadn’t played shortstop since middle school. But after a few days of work on the Peoria back fields, he manned the position for the first time Thursday. In the first inning, he made a nifty play on a hot shot up the middle that initially caromed off his glove. He retreated a few feet, picked up the ball and fired to second for a forceout.

The Padres believe deeply in Song’s glove, and if he can hit, there could be regular starts available for him against right-handed pitching. He looked the part on Thursday, launching a no-doubt, 430-foot blast onto the right-field berm at Peoria Stadium.

Then again, if Song’s oblique injury lingers, it could cast some doubt on his status for the Opening Day roster. The Padres have a handful of candidates vying for a place or two on their bench, though none of the primary options brings the versatility that Song does.

Buehler debuts
Walker Buehler hasn’t been the same pitcher since he underwent a second Tommy John surgery in 2022. But he has reason to believe he could be in for a bounceback season after signing with the Padres. Why?

“About four weeks ago, my elbow just stopped hurting,” said Buehler, who made his Cactus League debut Thursday. “That’s a new one for me. Things have ticked up from there.”

Buehler, 31, allowed two runs over three innings, striking out four and allowing one walk against the Mariners. (Needless to say, based on the final score, it was a particularly tricky day for pitchers, with the wind at Peoria Stadium blowing straight out.) Buehler’s fastball averaged 92.4 miles per hour, 1.6 mph below his 2025 average.

Nonetheless, Buehler has been pleased with his early results and his early work with pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Buehler has re-worked his slider and sweeper (and got whiffs with three of the seven sweepers he threw on Thursday).

“I don’t think I can survive being a 65 percent four-seam fastball guy anymore,” Buehler said.

Buehler is one of a handful of pitchers competing for a spot or two at the back end of the San Diego rotation. He’s on a Minor League deal but can opt out of that deal if he’s not on the Opening Day roster.

As far as that rotation battle goes, there probably isn’t much to read into Buehler’s first outing. He’ll be judged more on his next three. Thursday was simply about getting back on the mound in a game setting.

“All in all, a good day,” Buehler said.

Offense erupts
All in all, a good day for the Padres’ offense, too. Their 27 runs are the most in the 20 years since all Cactus League data has been tracked. Only the Cardinals, on March 30, 2022, have scored more runs (29) in a Spring Training game since at least 2006.

San Diego pounded out 28 hits, with eight players posting multi-hit games. The franchise record for home runs in a regular-season game is seven. On Thursday, eight different players went deep.

Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin all homered and had three hits apiece. Fermin drove in six.

“The wind blowing out makes these games kind of crazy,” Stammen said. “They hit a bunch of home runs. We hit a bunch of home runs. But overall, [it was] a really good approach for us at the plate, too. It wasn’t just home runs. It was opposite-field, line drives, working walks. It was a good day for us.”