SAN DIEGO -- What happens when you take baseball's top offense and add the elite on-base weapon it's been missing for most of the season?

The Padres should find out soon enough.

Tommy Pham has made serious progress in his recovery from surgery for a broken hamate bone on his left hand, manager Jayce Tingler said. The veteran left fielder took batting practice for the first time on Wednesday.

What's the timeline?
Tingler wouldn't offer an exact timetable for Pham's return, but he exuded optimism.

"He's been stacking some good days up," Tingler said. "So we'll see how today goes. But he's a tough one to keep locked up very long."

Pham's next step would be to receive live at-bats at the team's alternate training site at the University of San Diego. Those could come as soon as this weekend.

Barring any setbacks, it’s realistic for the Padres to hope for a Pham return next week. They’re slated to play a crucial three-game series against the Dodgers beginning Monday night.

What does he bring?
Pham, who boasts a career .370 on-base percentage, struggled for the season's first three weeks before he sustained the injury on Aug. 15. He batted just .207/.316/.293 across 95 plate appearances.

But Pham dealt with elbow issues during the offseason, and he played through some other aches and pains early in the year after diving awkwardly for a couple fly balls.

"Looking back at it, personally, I probably don't think he was [ever 100 percent]," Tingler said.

If the Padres get the 100% version of Tommy Pham, that's a scary proposition. They already lead the Majors in runs, wRC+ and a number of other offensive metrics.

What does it mean?
Pham's return would solidify the Padres' outfield mix, which has already gotten excellent production from Trent Grisham in center field and Wil Myers in right.

"He just wants to get back and contribute and be in the lineup, be in left field and do everything in his power," Tingler said.

Utility man Jurickson Profar has filled in admirably in Pham's absence. Profar started the season slowly, but he entered Wednesday hitting .366/.357/.561 across the last two weeks.

Pham's return should give the Padres a bit more flexibility in how they use Profar. He could serve as designated hitter. Or, in Eric Hosmer's absence, Profar could play some second base with Jake Cronenworth moving to first.