PEORIA, Ariz. -- Right-handed relievers Fernando Rodney and Kevin Quackenbush will be pushed back before they make their debuts during the Cactus League season as they recover from mild hamstring strains, new Padres manager Andy Green said Saturday.
Meanwhile, left-handed reliever Buddy Baumann is being sent back to San Diego to have a nagging back injury examined, the manager said.
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The Padres open the Cactus League season Wednesday against the Mariners, and Green said there was no reason to accelerate the workouts of the two veteran right-handed pitchers.
"Yeah, we're not going to push them; they're both relievers," Green said. "It makes no sense to try to get them ready for a March 2 or 3 game. It does not take relief pitchers that amount of time to get ready for the season. In both of their cases we think it's prudent to take our time and integrate them into games middle to later spring."
Rodney and Quackenbush have been working their way back from their injuries and both threw on the side Friday for the first time this spring without any issues.
"They both felt really good, no problems to report at all," Green said. "Their arms felt great. Hamstrings on both of them felt really good. We are probably going to wait a few days before integrating them into PFP [pitchers' fielding practice] drills. Everything is positive on that end."
As far as Baumann is concerned, "he just has some consistent tightness. He comes out and tried to push it a little bit and he just can't seem to get over that hump. He just seems to get locked up a little bit. We're going to get him checked out and see what it is."