Joey Lucchesi's plight surely must be viewed as a sign of progress in the eyes of Padres decision-makers.
Remember, Lucchesi began the 2018 season as San Diego’s No. 2 starter. He began the ‘19 season in the same role.
But the expectations are different in 2020 -- particularly in the rotation. And suddenly, it’s worth wondering whether there’s a starting job available to Lucchesi at all.
The Padres beat the Angels 5-4 on Wednesday night in their final exhibition before they begin an unprecedented 60-game season against the D-backs on Friday. After being shut out by Angels pitching on Monday, the offense came to life. But Lucchesi looked like -- well, he looked like Joey Lucchesi.
The 27-year-old left-hander showed flashes of very good stuff. In the top of the first inning, he struck out Mike Trout with an excellent fastball on the inside corner. He followed that by getting Shohei Ohtani to whiff at a curve. But Lucchesi labored after that. He would need 79 pitches to get through four innings, allowing three runs, six hits and a pair of walks in the process.
Those up-and-down performances once felt like a staple of the Padres’ rotation. Now, they’re probably deemed unacceptable. Chris Paddack has arrived, and Dinelson Lamet and Garrett Richards have returned from Tommy John surgery. They will start San Diego’s first three games this weekend, with Zach Davies likely to pitch either the fourth or fifth game of the season.
The last rotation spot? It’s anybody’s guess. Cal Quantrill, Lucchesi’s primary competition, was sharp over three innings on Wednesday, striking out five and allowing a run. The Padres have also toyed with all sorts of creative pitching plans, given that they’ll get an expanded roster for the season’s first four weeks. They might use an opener. Or a tandem. Or a bullpen day.
“We’re going to stay incredibly flexible there,” Tingler said Wednesday night. “A lot of conversations to be had.”
Lucchesi is still expected to crack the Opening Day roster (which must be submitted by Thursday morning). He might even find himself in a starting role. Like any pitcher entering his third big league season, it’s fair to expect some development.
But this much seems clear: The 2018 and ‘19 version of Lucchesi probably doesn’t merit a place in the ‘20 rotation. If you’re the Padres, that’s unquestionably a good thing.
Grisham cements his spot
The Padres have three righty-hitting outfielders they’d feel perfectly comfortable using in their starting lineup. But the lefty-hitting Trent Grisham is still expected to start against left-handed pitching, and he showed why on Wednesday night.
Grisham, the Padres’ best defensive outfielder, made an excellent diving catch to rob Jason Castro, ending the bottom of the third inning. Per Statcast, Castro’s liner had just a 10 percent catch probability.
“He’s becoming pretty trustworthy out there,” Tingler said. “He’s gotten good jumps, he’s got good instincts. … Very happy with his leadership, taking control in center.”
Edward Olivares is an option to start in center against certain very tough lefties. But Grisham offers more range and a better glove. Plus, the Padres seem fairly content with Grisham’s bat against lefties. In five pro seasons in the Milwaukee system, his left/right splits were always relatively even.
Grisham’s excellent plate discipline is the primary reason the Padres acquired him in that November trade with the Brewers. He worked a walk against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval in his first plate appearance, before lining singles against a pair of righty relievers to finish 2-for-2.
“Short sample size in the big leagues, but he’s been all right against lefties, and as long as he continues to get on base and have good at-bats, that’s what we’re going to be looking for,” Tingler said. “He’s going to get opportunity.”
Myers healthy
With the Padres playing the bulk of their intrasquad games behind closed doors, it went mostly unnoticed that outfielder Wil Myers was battling a minor quad injury. He’d been serving primarily as a designated hitter lately without playing the field.
But Myers is back to full health, according to Tingler, and he played right field for five innings Wednesday, going 1-for-3.
It’s still possible that Myers opens the season in the designated hitter spot. Facing the lefty Madison Bumgarner, Tingler probably needs to choose between Olivares and Ty France for the last lineup spot. If it’s Olivares, the Padres might slot him into right field, sliding Myers into the DH role.
Up next
Paddack called his Opening Day duel with D-backs ace Madison Bumgarner "a cowboy showdown." Friday will mark Paddack's first Opening Day start, with first pitch at Petco Park scheduled for 6:10 p.m. PT. After a series of restrictions and workload limitations in 2019, Paddack will be fully turned loose in '20.