Gyorko back in lineup after working on swing

SAN DIEGO -- Rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko returned to the Padres' starting lineup Tuesday after not playing in each of the last two games.

That doesn't mean that Gyorko, who has scuffled at the plate of late, has been sitting around gathering dust.

"I've been in the cage a lot," Gyorko said. "I've been working these last couple of days on getting back to a good routine and a good rhythm at the plate."

Gyorko entered Tuesday's game against the Reds with four hits in his first 43 at-bats since coming off of the disabled list on July 12. He previously missed 30 games with a strained right groin.

Gyorko has 13 strikeouts in those 43 at-bats and had four in his last game Saturday against the D-backs. That's not the kind of hitter he is, Gyorko said.

"I was swinging at bad pitches, pitches I wouldn't normally swing at," Gyorko said. "When you do that, you're going to get yourself into trouble. You can't press to get a bunch of hits in one at-bat. You have to take it one at-bat at a time and get back to what got me here.

"I need to get a good pitch that I can control and put a good swing on it."