PHOENIX -- Franchy Cordero's long-term fit with the San Diego Padres is still a bit hazy. But his short-term role couldn't be clearer.
Cordero, the club's No. 23 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, is the starting center fielder. And, thus far, he's made the most of that opportunity.
The speedy 22-year-old made his eighth start in 10 games since he was called up from Triple-A El Paso 10 days ago. Batting leadoff for the second time on Wednesday, Cordero went 2-for-4, while showing off some outfield range, during a 7-4 loss to Arizona.
The Padres always seemed likely to send Cordero back to Triple-A El Paso when Manuel Margot returned from his right calf strain. But Cordero is batting .333/.375/.500 in 30 at-bats since his callup and is making an early case to stay.
"I don't really look ahead," Cordero after he notched his third multi-hit game with the Padres. "I'm really just trying to enjoy everything today. I'm going to go out there and everyday I'm in the lineup, I'll give it my all and focus on every game day-to-day. I don't worry about what might happen tomorrow."
Of course, Cordero remains raw in center field -- a relatively new position that he hadn't played until two years ago. They'd like to get him everyday reps in the outfield, and that might not be possible with Margot in center, Hunter Renfroe in right and a plethora of options in left.
But that might be looking too far ahead. It was only last week that Margot shed his walking boot. When he reaches full health, it's a distinct possibility he needs a rehab stint.

As for Cordero, he was red hot during his final month at Triple-A, batting .351/.413/.543 in May. He's carried that over to the big leagues.
So what does Cordero see as the biggest difference between the two levels?
"It's probably the command and the pitch sequencing," he said. "It's not that the pitches themselves are that different. But there is still a big difference [in the pitchers]."
Cordero has shown some remarkable range in the outfield -- perhaps more than the Padres envisioned when they converted him from shortstop in 2015. If there's a long-term place for him, it's probably in left field, alongside Margot and Renfroe.
But that's a problem for another day -- and a good one to have, at that.
"I don't get too caught up in that," said manager Andy Green. "He's got a baseball game to play. He played it today and played a good one. All that stuff takes care of itself if he takes care of the day-to-day. ... Right now, he's going to play a lot more than he's not. That's the situation he's in, and he's capitalizing."