Worth noting

• For the third time in as many starts, John Baker was behind the plate for Andrew Cashner on Wednesday. Black said that while Cashner and Baker have worked well together this season, it's more because of the opportunity to give Hundley a rest the night before a day game, with a right-hander on the mound Wednesday night.

"You've got to keep your bench current, you've got to get your guys at-bats," Black said. "With John, he and Cash have put together two good games. He pitched well in San Francisco with Baker catching and he threw well in his last start against the Giants, too, with Baker catching. But a lot of it has to do with the pitcher matchup on the opposition."

• Right-hander Tyson Ross, who is working his way back from a left shoulder impingement, made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Tucson on Tuesday night, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.

"The pitching line is not indicative of I guess how he threw the ball, according to [Triple-A manager Pat Murphy]," Black said, "but he got his pitch count up into the 40s. If he comes back into our bullpen, we've got to make sure he keeps his length to fill a role in the 'pen of a guy who can go multiple innings if we need him. But his stuff was good."

Ross will pitch again in relief Friday.

• James Darnell went 1-for-3 while hitting third and playing left field in Tuesday's game. It was his first rehab game in the field, as he returns from a left oblique injury suffered in Spring Training.

"He seems to be over his oblique," Black said. "I think he's right about now probably considered a healthy player working his way back to the Major Leagues, based on performance."

• The Padres plan to offer third baseman Chase Headley a multiyear deal "before midseason," executive chairman Ron Fowler told U-T San Diego.

Headley finished fifth in the National League MVP voting last year after a breakout season of 115 RBIs and 31 homers. The third baseman began this season on the disabled list, but he is hitting .261 with two homers and five RBIs entering Wednesday.

"Will it be 10 years? No," Fowler told the paper. "We're not going to do something like that. But we will do an offer that will be the largest offer we've ever made to a player in San Diego history and think it will be very close to some of the numbers I read in the press."

Headley will be a free agent after the 2014 season. Fowler said there's been dialogue with general manager Josh Byrnes, and the team hopes to have an offer "probably sooner versus later.