PHILADELPHIA -- The Padres could get a significant health boost toward the end of the month, with four players potentially in line to return in April or early May.
Manager Andy Green offered status updates on four injured Padres -- third baseman Yangervis Solarte (right hamstring strain) and right-handers Tyson Ross (right-shoulder inflammation), Brandon Morrow (shoulder surgery) and Jon Edwards (flexor strain). Barring any setbacks, it's a possibility that all four could return in the next few weeks.
Morrow had shoulder surgery in August and got off to a late start to Spring Training. Pitching for Class A Lake Elsinore on Monday, Morrow went 5 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits.
"I don't think he's too terribly far off," Green said before Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Phillies. "I think we always were pointing to the end of the month with him. I think I said earlier, there was never a commitment or a firm date in place that, 'Hey, this is the day we'll call you up by.' But we were always projecting the end of the month."
A spot in the rotation isn't guaranteed for Morrow, but it would seem likely he'd be given a chance. After all, Morrow was one of the Padres' most effective pitchers last season before he went down with the injury in May.
Meanwhile, Ross hasn't yet resumed throwing, but should do so soon. The club hopes to have him back on -- or shortly after -- April 20, the earliest date he can be activated.
"Part of the plan was basically shutting him down for a number of days, and then building him back up," Green said.
On Tuesday, Edwards was scheduled to throw for the first time since suffering his injury in Spring Training. Green said Edwards has experienced "no pain, no issues" in his elbow.
The news on Solarte was positive as well.
"The report I got on Solarte was he's feeling a lot better than was expected at this point in time and progressing nicely," Green said. "Hopefully he's back closer to the 15-day number than the 30-day number."
Myers gets a breather
Padres first baseman Wil Myers didn't start for the first time on Tuesday, and Green said the Padres may give a couple of more regulars days off this week, in the midst of a stretch of 10 games in 10 days.
"Sometimes what you do in April reaps dividends at the end of the year," Green said. "So the intent's make sure they're fresh as long as we go."
Wallace willing to try third
Since Solarte went down with his injury, Brett Wallace's pregame workload at third base hasn't increased. Wallace has played 22 career games at the hot corner, and occasionally takes batting-practice grounders there, more out of habit than anything else.
"I'm going to try to prepare myself as much as I can for any way I can help," Wallace said. "We haven't talked about specifics of whether I'm going to play there at all for me to be more ready. But they also have an understanding that I'm going to do it and be working on it. We haven't had that conversation yet, but if they want me to try [third base] or work on it some more, I'm willing."