Loss of Myers could cripple Padres

Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Wil Myers says he's day to day. And he wasn't wearing a wrap or a brace on his injured left wrist in the dugout during the game. I took that as a good sign.

The bad sign? When asked about the injury after the Padres' 11-4 loss at Seattle on Tuesday, manager Bud Black said: "There's no update."

Suddenly, injuries are a huge concern with the Padres.

• First baseman Yonder Alonso is on the disabled list with a bone bruise to his right scapula and Black has already said that injury could keep Alonso sidelined well beyond the minimum May 24 return date.

• Fifth starter Brandon Morrow has been on the disabled list since May 3 with right shoulder inflammation. But he hasn't picked up a ball yet and met with team physician Dr. Heinz Hoenecke in San Diego on Tuesday -- so he's not coming off the disabled list close to his May 18 possible return date.

• Now Myers is day to day with an injury to his left wrist -- which bothered him from the fourth day on in the 2014 season and adversely impacted his production. Myers had just moved to first to plug the hole created by Alonso's injury. If Myers misses extended time, the Padres are down two of their most productive starters plus their most successful early-season starting pitcher.

• Alonso led San Diego in both batting average (.333) and on-base percentage (.427). He ranked among the National League leaders in both categories.

• Myers leads the NL in runs scored (28) and the Padres in hits (39).

• Morrow has the lowest ERA (2.73) among Padres starting pitchers -- and San Diego was 5-0 in games he started. While Alonso, Myers and Yangervis Solarte are hitting a combined .336 with a .419 on-base percentage at first, the Padres' offense has been struggling at second, third (.206) and short (.202).

Will Venable can play center against right-handed starters. Solarte could move full-time to first, although he had also been seeing time at second (for the slumping Jedd Gyorko) and third (for the equally slumping Will Middlebrooks).

And help is not on the way as quickly as originally expected. Melvin Upton Jr. is a quality center fielder. But he could be almost month away from being game ready. And right-hander Josh Johnson's return from Tommy John surgery was pushed back two weeks when he turned up sore after his simulated game May 1.

From the scorebook

• Solarte's two-run single in the seventh inning Tuesday night in Seattle raised his batting average with runners in scoring position to .464 (13-for-28) with three doubles and 16 RBIs.

• Padres pitchers have given up a league-leading 50 homers in 34 games. Here's the breakdown: James Shields 11 in 42 1/3 innings, Andrew Cashner eight in 44 innings, Ian Kennedy seven in 24 1/3 innings, Odrisamer Despaigne four in 26 1/3, Morrow three in 33, Tyson Ross three in 40 2/3 innings, Frank Garces three in nine innings, Cory Mazzoni one in two innings, Chris Rearick two in three innings, Shawn Kelley two in 6 2/3 innings, Craig Kimbrel two in 12 2/3 innings, Joaquin Benoit two in 14 innings, Dale Thayer one in 14 1/3 innings and Brandon Maurer one in 15 2/3 innings. Only one pitcher to appear for San Diego this year hasn't allowed a home run, Nick Vincent.

• Kennedy is now 0-5 with a 8.33 ERA in six games (five starts) against teams from the American League West in his career. He is 4-11 with a 5.73 ERA in 16 Interleague starts.

• The Padres' starting rotation has allowed 34 homers in 203 innings -- or 1.51 per nine innings. They also lead the Major Leagues in strikeouts with 201 -- or 8.9 per nine innings.