PEORIA, Ariz. -- Chris Paddack posted one of the most successful rookie seasons ever for a Padres starter in 2019. It wouldn’t be fair to nitpick too much.

But Paddack is the first to do so, and he's keenly aware of one area in which he struggled last season. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up far too many home runs while ahead in the count.

"There's a difference between a guy throwing strikes and a guy who has control -- control meaning you can throw a ball on purpose when you want to," Paddack said. "I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. But I've got to learn how to spread out the zone, get guys to chase stuff outside the zone."

That issue came back to bite Paddack on Sunday afternoon during the Padres’ 6-0 loss to the White Sox. After two straight scoreless outings to start the spring, Paddack allowed four runs over four innings -- including a pair of homers to Cheslor Cuthbert.

The second of those homers -- a wind-aided jam-shot that kept carrying -- didn't bother Paddack much. The first clearly did -- for good reason. Ten of the 23 homers Paddack allowed last season came with two strikes, including three on 1-2 counts and four on 0-2 counts.

Still, after a three-run third inning, Paddack settled in for a 1-2-3 fourth, striking out Andrew Romine to end his day.

"My biggest focus this year: Throw away what just happened," Paddack said. "Elite pitchers, the guys that I look up to -- the Scherzers, the Verlanders, the Coles -- they do a good job during the season of if they let up four runs, that's all they're getting, and they still go six, seven innings."

France makes his case
Ty France plays first and third base in an organization that has committed $444 million to Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado. So when he arrived at big league camp this spring, an everyday role was already out of the question.

France knew that, and he might be carving himself an important place in the Padres' 2020 plans, anyway. France is off to a hot start to Spring Training with a 1.025 OPS, and he launched his first Cactus League homer on Saturday against the D-backs.

"Coming into last spring, before we had Manny, the starter role was in my head, I was working toward that," France said. "But coming into this year, I think I have a better idea of what my role will be -- that pinch-hit, bench job. It's one of the hardest things in baseball to do. ... But coming into that role, this spring, I have a better idea of what my role will be, and I can work off of that."

There's more opportunity available in that role than one might think. France can play some second base, so he'll likely get reps there, where the battle for playing time is wide open. If Hosmer continues to struggle against lefties, France might also get starts at first base. He'd serve as the emergency catcher, too.

First, France needs to make the team amid a tight race for bench spots. He already has an upper hand, given his pinch-hit track record. (He went 7-for-20 with some key hits off the bench last season.)

Fellow utilityman Greg Garcia was instrumental in teaching France the nuances of the role. Garcia stressed to France the importance of a level head. It's easy to put an 0-for-4 behind you when you're playing the next day. France learned to keep the same upbeat approach if he went 0-for-4 over a longer stretch.

"I had never done that bench role, and I didn't know how to prepare for it, how to go about it," France said. "I didn't know how to handle the failure. ... You go 0-for-4 in that week, it's OK. Just don't let it snowball into something bigger."

Tatis, Castillo square off
For different reasons, the Padres have slow-played Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Castillo this spring. Tatis missed a week while battling the flu, and Castillo has been eased into action after missing nearly all of last season with injuries.

The two squared off in a simulated game on Sunday, and Tatis walloped a 1-0 fastball over the left-field fence. He seems destined to return to game action on Monday.

Castillo, meanwhile, likely will get more work in back-field settings. He's racing against the clock for a shot at the Opening Day bullpen (though the Padres have a deep group of options where they could afford for him to start at Triple-A or on the injured list).

Up next
Veteran right-hander Garrett Richards will make his second appearance of the spring at 1:10 p.m. PT on Monday when the Padres host the Dodgers. The game is available on MLB.TV, MLB Network and Gameday Audio.