Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
El Paso manager Rod Barajas has a problem.
    
How do you get four promising outfielders into the lineup at the same time?
    
Jabari Blash was optioned to the Triple-A Chihuahuas Wednesday after the Padres reached a deal with Seattle to keep Rule 5 outfielder.
But El Paso already had three of the Pacific Coast League's top outfielders in Hunter Renfroe, Alex Dickerson and Manuel Margot.
Yes, the PCL does have a designated hitter rule. The only time the DH is not used is when two affiliates of National League teams meet - and that can be negotiated by the teams on a game-to-game basis.
At 26, Blash, who was 3-for-25 with the Padres with 13 strikeouts, will be the oldest of the quartet Thursday night when the Chihuahuas return from a day off to host Round Rock in a series opener at Southwest University Park.
Blash already has Triple-A experience. He hit .264 with 22 homers in 56 games for Tacoma last season.
    
A look at the other El Paso outfielders:
    
--Dickerson, 25, is riding a 16-game hitting streak - around a 12-day stay with the Padres - that has raised his season batting average to .413 (33-for-80). The Poway High and Indiana University product has reached base 10 times in his 11 plate appearances since he returned to the Chihuahuas after his time in San Diego. Dickerson is 8-for-9 with
two walks, three homers and seven RBIs in his last three games. He has been playing left field with the Chihuahuas.
--Renfroe, 24, the Padres' third-ranked prospect, has homered in each of his past three games and has eight on the season. The 13th overall pick in the 2013 draft is hitting .318 on the season and is 12-for-27 over his last five games with three homers and eight RBIs. He is tied for fourth in the PCL in homers and tied for fifth with 28 RBIs. He has spent most of his time in right, but has played center field.    
--Margot, 21, is considered the top prospect in the Padres system. The center fielder is hitting .289 and ranks fourth in the PCL in runs scored (29) and steals (13).
As a team, El Paso is hitting .317 - 36 points higher than the next highest batting average in the PCL.    Right-handed starting pitcher Walker Lockett, who had a 3.00 earned run average in 45 innings for low Single-A Fort Wayne, was promoted from the TinCaps to high Single-A Lake Elsinore Wednesday. Left-handed starter Thomas Dorminy was transferred from Lake Elsinore to Fort Wayne.
AROUND THE FARM:
    
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (12-26) - Corpus Christi 5, MISSIONS 2: SS Jose Rondon (.258) was 2-for-4 with his second homer. INF Chase Jensen (.129) hit his second homer in three at-bats. CF Auston Bousfield (.213) and LF Nick Torres (.260) were each 2-for-4. Starting RHP Bryan Rodriguez (2-3, 3.20 ERA) allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts in six innings. LHP Brandon Alger (10.69) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in two innings. RHP Elliot Morris (0.00) struck out one in a perfect inning.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (17-23) - Rancho Cucamonga 7, STORM 2 - CF Franchy Cordero (.264) was 2-for-4 with a double. Starting RHP Brett Kennedy (0-2, 3.86 ERA) allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. LHP Taylor Cox (1.54) allowed two hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. LHP Taylor Seidenberger (7.71) allowed three runs on a hit and two walks with a strikeout in an inning. RHP Aaron Cressley (0.00) issued three walks in hitless, scoreless inning.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (20-19) - Lansing 1, TIN CAPS 0 (10 innings): Starting LHP Logan Allen (2.33 ERA) allowed two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four scoreless innings. LHP Jerry Keel (2.00) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings. RHP Phil Maton (3.00) struck out four in two perfect innings. RHP Gerardo Reyes (2-1, 3.12) allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in an inning to suffer the loss. LF Rod Boykin (.214) was 2-for-4 with a double. 2B Peter Van Gansen (.254) was 2-for-5.