SAN DIEGO -- Wil Myers has slumped before. He's a streaky hitter, after all, and his tenure in San Diego has been defined by high highs and low lows. In his good seasons, Myers' hot streaks have outlasted his slumps. In his bad seasons, the reverse was true.

But Myers has never slumped quite like this. He’s not only struggling; he isn’t giving himself a chance.

The Padres outfielder entered play Monday night with a 38 percent strikeout rate, leading the Major Leagues. In May, he'd struck out 20 times in 49 plate appearances. It's a remarkable turn, considering Myers was hitting .303 with an .898 OPS on April 22. Those numbers have dipped to .232 and .724.

"This has been my trend over the last four years here, where I run into a funk and I let it prolong a little too long," Myers said. "Three weeks ago, I was hitting .300 with a .900 OPS. That hitter hasn't left. We're going to make the adjustments."

What adjustments, exactly?

Simple: Make contact.

"The strikeouts are terrible," Myers said. "The reason why is that I'm missing pitches right over the plate. I've got to find a way to put the ball in play more. If I can put the ball in play, I can beat out some hits. It would raise my floor as a player."

Myers is whiffing on 34 percent of his swings -- 10 percent higher than his career average. Otherwise, his numbers are OK. He's chasing pitches outside the zone less frequently, and his quality of contact is solid. His barrel rate (12 percent), hard-hit rate (41 percent) and exit velocity (89.3 mph) are all better than his career averages.

But Myers isn't making contact, and that comes first. Fixing a whiff problem isn’t easy, but Myers and hitting coach Johnny Washington have been working tirelessly to do so.

All the while, the Padres have stuck with Myers through his slump, confident he'll break out soon. Myers walked twice on Sunday, and he sent a ball off the facing of the third deck in left field -- a few feet foul.

Even though they're getting solid contributions from corner outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes, there's still a place for Myers in center. His ceiling as a hitter is better than Manuel Margot's -- even if his defense isn't.

So Myers has been left with the most difficult of fundamental tasks: Hit the ball. When he does, good things generally happen. He just doesn't do it enough.

"These last three weeks have been tough," Myers said. “But over the last week, we've come up with some things that have really helped. … It’s going to start clicking.”

Noteworthy

• Rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. still isn't running at 100 percent, manager Andy Green said. Tatis is taking part in extended spring games at the team's complex in Peoria, Ariz. But he's only getting at-bats, not running the bases or playing the field.

That would seem to indicate that Tatis won't be returning over the next few days. He sustained a left hamstring strain late last month in Washington. The Padres have sorely missed Tatis’ bat at the top of their order.

Green wouldn't say whether Tatis might require a rehab stint once he gets closer to full health.

• Ontario native Cal Quantrill will start Saturday in Toronto, Green confirmed. Quantrill was recalled to start Sunday's game against the Pirates, and he allowed five runs over five innings.

The back of the Padres' rotation is seemingly wide open once again, given the demotion of Nick Margevicius to Double-A Amarillo. Quantrill, who owns a 5.40 ERA through three big league starts, gets the next chance to seize the fifth-starter role. Margevicius and Padres No. 6 prospect Logan Allen are waiting in the Minors as options.