SAN DIEGO -- Garrett Richards has spent almost two years building toward the 2020 baseball season. Fitting that his final tune-up comes against the Angels.

Richards will take the ball Monday night when the Padres play the first of their two exhibition games against the Angels this week. The two teams will square off Monday at Petco Park, then Wednesday at Angel Stadium, though no starting pitcher has been announced for the second game.

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Richards, of course, spent the first eight seasons of his career in Anaheim, where he racked up a 3.54 ERA over 170 outings (115 starts). But in his final season there, he tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery just as he was set to enter free agency.

San Diego took a flier on Richards, signing him to a two-year deal in December 2018. He made three starts last season, but the Padres' focus was always on the impact Richards would make in '20.

"I've had a lot of rest over the last couple years, so I'm definitely ready to play," Richards said earlier this week. "I feel great, I feel healthy. That's something that I haven't felt in a really long time, as far as being completely healthy."

Richards' Monday start seemingly lines him up for the No. 3 spot in the San Diego rotation. Chris Paddack threw a simulated game Saturday and Dinelson Lamet is scheduled to do so Sunday.

That makes Paddack-Lamet-Richards the likeliest rotation alignment, one through three. The Padres are expected to name their Opening Day starter at some point in the next day or two.

As for Monday’s game against the Angels, the first after 16 intrasquad games:

"Everybody's excited to play somebody else," Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. "We've been banging heads for a while. ... It's going to be really good seeing another team and just being able to compete."

The plan for Hill
Even with the presence of a three-batter minimum this season, the Padres clearly still believe there’s value in a lefty reliever who gets lefty hitters out. On Thursday night, they traded Franchy Cordero just to get one.

Tim Hill's splits against left-handers were excellent last season. He held them to a .186/.262/.203 slash line. In a division that features plenty of big-name lefty bats, the Padres believe that kind of production could be immensely valuable in 2020 and beyond.

But what about the fact that righties posted an OPS almost 300 points higher against Hill? With the three-batter minimum in place, Hill is likely to face right-handed hitters somewhat regularly.

"You're going to look for innings that maybe have two or three lefties," Tingler said. "Also, lefties can come in to get a lefty or two if there are already two outs in the inning. You get that out, then that inning's over, and you can bring somebody else in.

"I do think there are going to be some different strategies to it. If you don't like a matchup, you can always walk a guy. That counts as a plate appearance. I think there's going to be some new strategic moves, too, this year, and I'm kind of excited for it."

The Padres expect Hill to join the team's workouts Sunday.

Opening Day in doubt for Mateo
Tingler didn't have an update on infielder Jorge Mateo, who tested positive for the coronavirus during intake screening earlier this month. (Mateo gave the team permission to disclose his diagnosis.)

It'd be unfair to speculate on a potential return for Mateo. But with less than a week until Opening Day, it seems increasingly unlikely that he will be part of that roster. Tingler wouldn't rule it out, however.

"He's probably going to need some baseball work," Tingler said. "But at the same time, he brings a lot of speed to the game. If we want to use that asset of his game, can we use that right away? Probably. But we'll wait and see."

If Mateo is unavailable, that probably clears a path for Jake Cronenworth to earn a roster spot as a utility infielder and the team's primary backup shortstop.

Emergency catcher or strategic catching weapon?
Tingler has noted several times that Ty France will serve as the team's catcher in case of an emergency. But France might be given slightly more responsibility than a typical "emergency catcher."

France has caught a handful of innings during the team's nightly intrasquad games, and Tingler noted that he might appear "if we try to roll the dice, do something strategic." France, it seems, is being prepped to handle a very niche scenario:

Say the Padres are tied in extra innings and they start the bottom of a frame with a man on second base. If that's Austin Hedges or Francisco Mejía, it might be worth using a pinch-runner. If Hedges is at the plate, the situation might call for a pinch-hitter. It's a gamble the Padres could make in an effort to end the game instantly, knowing that France is their fallback option behind the plate if they don't.

It's still possible the Padres keep Luis Torrens as a third catcher, ruling out that scenario entirely. But if not, France's competence behind the dish might offer a strategic edge that most emergency catchers don't.

"That's what we're training for ... late innings, catching the late bullpen guys," France said. "We're working toward that, getting more comfortable with that. Right now, I would say, yes, I'm comfortable enough to get back there and hold my own."