PEORIA, Ariz. -- It’s been a year since Gavin Sheets burst onto the scene with an unforgettable Cactus League power surge. A non-roster invitee last spring, Sheets slugged his way to an Opening Day roster spot and played a crucial role in a Padres lineup that desperately needed his thump.
A year later, the Padres won’t be relying quite so desperately on Sheets’ power. At least, that’s what their offseason additions would seem to indicate. But Sheets’ thump is still there. Clearly.
Sheets launched a no-doubt three-run homer onto the right-field berm in the Padres’ 14-3 win over the Reds at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday. He’s spent most of his spring focused on controlling the strike zone -- to the tune of a team-high seven walks. Sunday marked his first spring home run.
“The big thing for me has been controlling the strike zone, getting walks and being disciplined,” Sheets said. “You get swings like this and you build off the two of those things, you can really put the two of those things together.”
Sheets established himself as a reliable presence in the lineup last season against both right- and left-handed pitching. But the Padres have added both Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos to their offensive mix this year. Like Sheets, they’ve both pieced together solid springs. And they’re known for mashing against lefties.
Essentially, based on the current roster construction, there will be a maximum of two places available on a daily basis to be shared among that trio -- at first base and DH. (Castellanos has continued to get action at first and made a leaping catch there on Sunday.) The lefty-hitting Sheets is expected to start regularly against right-handers. But he could come off the bench against lefties -- and is just fine with that.
“We’re extremely deep,” Sheets said. “We’ve got pieces that can hurt you at any time in the game. We’ve got a dangerous lineup, and then we’ve got guys that, on any given night, can come off the bench and hurt you. That’s the recipe for a really good ballclub.”
His manager agrees.
“The way those guys are swinging the bats, the way they stand in the box, create havoc with the pitcher -- it lengthens our lineup, even when they’re not in our lineup,” said manager Craig Stammen.
Gillaspie in the mix
Right-hander Logan Gillaspie continued his impressive spring with four scoreless innings in a spot start on Sunday afternoon. Gillaspie has now made three appearances and has yet to allow a run, striking out eight and walking two, while allowing three hits over 7 2/3 innings.
“He just goes out there, competes his tail off, lot of energy and enthusiasm, throws a ton of strikes and gets a lot of outs,” Stammen said. “Outs are good.”
Gillaspie might just be pitching his way into a roster spot. He’s probably not in the mix for the No. 5 starter spot (at least not yet, but check back later in camp). Instead, Stammen has noted that he envisions a role similar to the role he used to fill himself as a longtime reliever with the Padres.
As a pitcher, Stammen essentially filled whatever role was asked of him, covering multiple innings early in games on occasion and pitching in leverage spots when needed.
Depending on injuries in the bullpen, there might be as many as three places available in the ‘pen. One of those spots would presumably go to a pitcher capable of covering some length. That place might be Gillaspie’s to lose at this point.
Injury updates
• Right-hander Nick Pivetta played a routine round of catch on Sunday. Had the Padres stayed on turn in their rotation, Sunday would’ve been Pivetta’s start day. But they adjusted their rotation to push him back while he deals with what Stammen called “a little arm fatigue.”
Stammen promptly added that it was “nothing major.” Still Pivetta, the Padres’ presumed Opening Day starter, has yet to return to the mound. He could do so with a bullpen session in the coming days. Then, if all goes well, he could slot right back into the rotation for his next turn through, Stammen said.
• Ramón Laureano was scratched from the lineup on Sunday with what the Padres called “general body fatigue.” He took part in Sunday’s workout and could return to the lineup in the near future.
“He’s fine,” Stammen said. “Just one of those Spring Training [things], where he’s putting a lot of work in on the back field, needed a breather. So we gave it to him.”