Padres cautious with Pham (side soreness)

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Obviously, Tommy Pham would've preferred to be taking swings in a cage over the offseason. Instead, he was receiving platelet-rich plasma injections on his ailing right elbow -- leaving him sidelined and antsy.

But the veteran left fielder insists he's been playing in the big leagues long enough to know how to prepare for a season. His early-spring progression is just a bit different this year.

Pham, who was acquired by the Padres in the November deal that sent Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards to the Rays, played through a UCL sprain in his right elbow late last season. That forced Pham into designated hitter duties.

In the National League, that's no longer an option. The Padres are building Pham slowly toward his full throwing progression, and he's currently playing catch regularly. Neither Pham nor the Padres seem worried about his status for Opening Day. But in order for Pham to hit that milestone, he expects to have a busy spring.

"I know myself, and I know how to get myself ready," Pham said. "But also I didn't take a lot of swings this offseason because I was coming back from my elbow. When I'm ready to go, I want to be playing. I'm going to be on the road a lot."

Pham was slated to start Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Mariners, but the game was rained out. Pham said he has since experienced soreness in his side and the Padres have chosen to hold him out of game action. It's possible he starts as the DH on Wednesday against the Indians, but San Diego will continue to be cautious.

"I'm being proactive, rather than trying to play through this because it's only February," Pham said. "If I played through it and actually hurt myself, and missed six weeks, that wouldn't be good."

It's the prudent approach. But this recent bout of soreness has done nothing to limit Pham's itch to face live pitching.

From Pham's brief time in Padres' camp, this much is already clear: He isn't one to sit still. Even with his limitations, Pham is as active as any player during workouts. After Tuesday's practice, he stopped for several minutes at the team's bullpen area to stand in the batters' box and track pitches.

That's all part of Pham's recovery process. One of the sport's best on-base weapons, Pham says it's just as important to train his eye as it is to train his swing.

"I'm not worried about it," Pham said. "I can still go in the cage, I can track off the machine, I can stand in live. I know how to get myself ready. Every time I've been on the [injured list], and I come back off the [IL], I've always been ready."

While playing through multiple injuries last season, Pham posted a .273/.369/.450 slash line and was worth 3.7 wins above replacement. When the Padres acquired Pham, they knew of his elbow injury and the broken bone in his hand he was also recovering from.

Of course, San Diego really can't afford to have Pham missing time. He's one of only two righty-hitting options in the club's outfield mix, and he might be its best on-base weapon. The Padres paid a significant long-term price to acquire him, and they only have two years to extract that value before he hits free agency.

These words should be reassuring then:

"My throwing's been great," Pham said. "I feel great. They have me on a slow progression, and I trust them. I trust this program."

Arias shines early
Through three Cactus League games, one of the Padres' biggest standouts was also one of their final invites to camp.

Shortstop prospect Gabriel Arias was named to the Spring Training roster one day before report day. He's already 2-for-4, and he's impressed defensively with solid range and a cannon for an arm.

"To come in here at 19 years old ... he looks like he's been doing it for a while," manager Jayce Tingler said.

Arias started in Tuesday's 9-6 win over the A's -- going 1-for-3. He isn't a candidate for a roster spot, but the Padres have been impressed with his improvement in the lower levels of their system, and it’s easy to see why.

In the past year, Arias has made serious strides at the plate, and he's begun to tap into some of his power. He spent most of the offseason at the team's spring complex, and he was taking part in a batting practice session on the eve of camp when he was called aside and told he'd be relocating to the big league side.

"It meant a lot," Arias said. "It meant a lot that they recognized the work I had put in and that they rewarded me for that. I'm honestly really proud of myself, because I feel like if I hadn't put in that work and done the things I did in the offseason, I wouldn't be here."

Up next
Right-hander Chris Paddack is coming off one of the most impressive rookie seasons for a pitcher in Padres history. He’s slated to make his first start of the spring against the Indians at 12:10 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Peoria Stadium. Bullpen candidates Luis Perdomo, Javy Guerra and Gerardo Reyes are also slated to pitch. Watch the action live on MLB.TV.