Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Twenty-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr. last Sunday capped the first half of his rookie season by becoming the youngest player to hit two homers in a game at Dodger Stadium, as well as the youngest Padre to go deep twice in one game.

The game-winning effort also capped solid month for Tatis since returning from the injured list. He had missed 34 games between April 28 and June 6 with a calf injury.

Since his return, Tatis has gone 38-for-108 with four doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 32 runs scored, and 20 RBIs -- capped by his career-best four RBIs last Sunday. He has also drawn 12 walks with six stolen bases over the 28 games.

Since his return, Tatis has hit .352 to raise his batting average from .300 to .327, with a .417 on-base percentage and a .685 slugging percentage for a 1.102 OPS.

Notebook

• LHP Eric Lauer has not allowed a homer in his four most recent starts and has allowed only two in his last nine starts after giving up seven homers in his first eight starts. Homers had accounted for 14 of the first 26 runs allowed by Lauer, but only three of the last 15. In nine starts since May 16, Lauer is 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Since May 16, his ERA has gone from 7.75 to 4.04 and the Padres are 6-3 when he starts.

• Corner outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes have been two of the more productive Padres since June 23. Renfroe has gone 12-for-41 with two doubles, four homers and six RBIs. Reyes has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games, going 13-for-44 with five homers and six RBIs.

• 1B Eric Hosmer went into the All-Star break experiencing his longest dry spell since the season’s first month. He was 3-for-28 with a double and two RBIs in the seven games immediately before the break with eight strikeouts. Going into the slump, Hosmer had gone 15-for-32 with two doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs in a seven-game hitting streak.

• C Austin Hedges is also in another drought, going 3-for-26 with a double and a RBI with 10 strikeouts since June 23. The double was a pop fly that was lost in the sun las Sunday at Dodger Stadium. His average has slipped from .195 to .185.

• 2B Ian Kinsler is 1-for-14 since the start of July and 6-for-39 with one double and a RBI since June 15, dropping his batting average from .230 to .217.

• RHP Trey Wingenter has allowed one run in his seven most recent relief outings, lowering his ERA from 3.95 to 3.44. Over the run, he has given up three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

• RHP Craig Stammen hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last seven outings covering eight innings.