SAN DIEGO -- How’s this for a valuable midseason addition to the Padres’ playoff push:

Austin Nola is an excellent defensive catcher, who pitchers love throwing to, hitting .304/.406/.418 in 30 games this season. You better believe the Padres missed his presence in their lineup when Nola was sidelined for most of the first half of the season with hand and knee injuries.

Making up for lost time, Nola stayed red-hot in San Diego's 6-5 victory over the Marlins at Petco Park on Tuesday night. It was the Padres' fourth straight victory, bringing them 17 games above .500 for the first time this season, as they added another game of separation on the Wild Card-chasing Reds, who now sit 4 1/2 back. Nola went 2-for-4, driving in a pair of runs -- first with a laser double in the top of the first inning, then a single in the seventh that plated the go-ahead run.

“You talk about the lineup being extended … when your catcher is getting production like a three- or four-hole hitter, obviously you’ve got something special,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler.

On top of the offensive production, Nola backstopped a bullpen day that featured eight different pitchers. Thrust into a starting role, Craig Stammen struggled, allowing four runs across two innings (though his defense did him no favors). But the rest of the Padres ‘pen picked him up with seven innings of one-run ball -- including a four-out save for Mark Melancon after left-hander Drew Pomeranz exited in the eighth inning with forearm tightness.

“As a catcher, especially on a bullpen day, you’ve got to be a little bit of a chameleon,” said Stammen afterward of Nola. “... He’s great. He can change who he is based on who’s pitching, and he’s rock solid behind there, too, with a phenomenal physical skill set. And now he’s swinging the bat like we remember him swinging the bat. It’s fun to see him be his best self.”

Nola was sidelined in April with a fractured finger, then in late May with a left knee sprain. But he is hitting .424 since his mid-July return, to go along with his typically solid defense.

And, sure, the Padres would’ve preferred to have Nola for the entirety of the season. But catcher is a taxing position in the big leagues, one that takes a toll in the dog days. Nola has caught all of 24 Major League games this season. With the stretch run approaching, maybe it’s a good thing that he’s relatively fresh.

“I try to look at it that way, for sure,” Nola said. “It maybe wasn’t the best timing to be out for as much as I’ve been. But, you know, we just take what we get right now. I’m just thankful to be here, and thankful to be healthy.”

Of course, Nola’s return to the Padres lineup, coincided with a rather significant loss in the middle of that lineup. A week after they added their starting catcher back into the fold, the Padres lost their best hitter in Fernando Tatis Jr., who hit the injured list for the third time this season with a partially dislocated left shoulder.

And, no, Nola isn’t going to match Tatis’ production. Tatis is the MVP frontrunner, leading the NL in homers, steals and WAR. But consider what the addition of Nola at catcher means to the San Diego offense, juxtaposed with the loss of Tatis and how the Padres have filled his spot in the lineup.

Prior to Nola’s return on July 22, the Padres had gotten very little production from the catcher’s spot (aside from a few clutch Victor Caratini home runs). San Diego catchers combined for a .208 batting average and a 76 wRC+, ranking 20th in both departments.

With Nola back in the mix, the Padres suddenly rank near the top of the league in those departments, without a drop-off defensively. (Not to mention, with a lightened workload for Caratini, he’s been better at the plate, too.)

So is Austin Nola as valuable as Fernando Tatis Jr.? No. But the upgrade from backup catchers to Nola helps mitigate the downgrade from Tatis to, say, Ha-Seong Kim, Wil Myers or Eric Hosmer on a given night.

“The way he’s swinging the bat, and defensively, he’s doing a great job, it correlates with the way the overall offense is going,” Tingler said. “You’re able to put a middle of the batting-order [hitter] in there -- and he’s at a premier position behind the plate.”