Notes: Grisham red hot; Pham to debut

PEORIA, Ariz. -- When Trent Grisham was penciled into the No. 2 spot in the batting order for Friday’s contest vs. the Cubs, he became the first Padres position player to start back-to-back games this spring. His 3-for-3 performance helped boost the club to a 5-1 victory.

If making consecutive starts indicates the ramping up of intensity in Cactus League play, Grisham’s solo shot to right field in his first at-bat was a personal stamp of approval.

“There’s really not much method to it,” manager Jayce Tingler said of Grisham’s second straight start. “But physically, he looks great. … We don’t have many night games, so anytime that we can get the guys under the lights and getting going, [we want that opportunity].”

Back on Aug. 4, 2019, Grisham hit his first big league home run off Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood. On Friday, his first home run in a Padres uniform -- albeit of the spring variety -- also came off Chatwood.

“Obviously, you have a good plan going in [facing Chatwood], which is kind of uncommon during spring,” Grisham said.

Last season, each of Grisham's six home runs came on fastballs. This blast was no different.

A cutter that bore down and in on his hands, Grisham was able to get his wrists through the zone and send the ball soaring over the right-field fence.

Grisham’s second time at the plate yielded similar results, as he stung another shot to right, this time watching the ball sink in for a base hit.

But his third time at the dish was a hit of an entirely different kind -- a bunt attempt down the third-base line that he legged out for an infield single.

Irrespective of when a game takes place, hitting between Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado in the lineup can ease some pressure.

“It’s easy,” Grisham said of batting between the duo, even as he insisted that he doesn’t pay much attention to who hits ahead or behind him.

From Tingler’s perspective, Grisham’s trial run hitting second could ultimately vault him into being utilized in that slot in the order come the regular season.

“We want guys getting on base, and he’s shown the ability to do that,” Tingler said. “I think he’s capable of hitting in a lot of spots and he looked really good hitting in the two-hole tonight.”

Through four Cactus League appearances, Grisham, who is the leading candidate to take over the center-field job on a full-time basis, is off to a 5-for-11 start.

Grisham arrived from Milwaukee in a November deal that also landed the club right-hander Zach Davies. Davies made his second spring start Friday and yielded one run across two frames, striking out two as the Cubs sent out a lineup that featured many of its regulars.

Pham to debut Saturday
Tommy Pham may not yet be ready to play the outfield during game action as he works his way back from a UCL sprain in his right elbow, but he was able to participate in outfield drills Friday, throwing the ball with low intensity. He is expected to make his Spring Training debut Saturday vs. the Reds, serving as the designated hitter. He had previously been delayed from making his debut due to side soreness.

Tingler was excited about the prospect of getting Pham’s bat into the lineup as the team attempts to bring him along ahead of Opening Day, where he is expected to serve as the club’s everyday left fielder.

“Just him getting back into the rhythm, the timing, the pace of the game, I look forward to that,” Tingler said.

Gore coming soon
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore, the club’s top prospect and the No. 5 overall prospect in the Majors per MLB Pipeline, still does not have a set date for when he will make his Cactus League debut. But the southpaw is set to throw what Tingler has described as “more of a simulated game, live BP, something like that,” on Saturday.

“We’re probably going to look at the first week of March where he’s going to start getting into game action,” Tingler said. “Everything as a plan, he’s right on schedule.”

Up next
Right-hander Dinelson Lamet will start and make his first Cactus League outing Saturday against the Reds at 12:05 p.m. PT. Lamet, who racked up 105 strikeouts in 73 innings last season after returning from Tommy John surgery, is expected to be a key catalyst in the team’s starting rotation in 2020.

Additionally, Pham is expected to serve as the designated hitter, marking his first action of the spring. Cincinnati will counter with its ace, right-hander Luis Castillo. Watch the game on MLB.TV.