SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Logan Allen waited and watched as his close friend, locker-mate and fellow top-100 prospect Chris Paddack dominated the Brewers on Tuesday. Allen got antsy. It would be two long days before his Cactus League debut Thursday.
The 21-year-old left-hander didn't disappoint in the Padres’ 3-2 loss against Kansas City in Surprise. In two innings, he faced the minimum, allowing one hit that was erased with a double-play grounder. Allen recorded five of his outs with the ground ball and the other via a strikeout.
"Definitely good to get the first one under my belt after seeing Paddack and how happy he was to get his first out of the way," Allen said. "I felt good today."
It's the first trip to big league camp for both Paddack and Allen. Generally speaking, first-timers are in camp mostly to get their feet wet and learn the nuances of day-to-day big league life.
That's not the case with Allen and Paddack. In a wide-open Padres rotation battle, they're squarely in the mix. And they know it.
"We both talked about it for the whole offseason: We want to be on the Opening Day roster," Allen said. "We've been talking about it for years, that when him and I are in the big leagues, we're going to win a ton of games."
Everywhere he's pitched, Allen has been excellent. He split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season and notched a 2.54 ERA in 25 appearances. He's got a serviceable four-pitch mix and a big leaguer's confidence, even if he won't turn 22 until May.
That confidence has only grown since Allen arrived in camp earlier this month.
"I've learned a lot of stuff off the field, just talking to guys ... how to carry yourself in the clubhouse," Allen said. "Pitching-wise, a good pitch here is a good pitch anywhere. Not being nervous, not being worried about if your stuff's good enough. Just go out and pitch, attack hitters.
“What I throw is going to get Major League hitters out. That's the kind of confidence I've come into [it with]. That's the kind of confidence I'm going to continue to have."
Urias shows some pop
The Padres aren't all that concerned with Luis Urias' power potential. They want the 21-year-old middle-infield prospect sitting atop their lineup as an elite on-base threat. Anything else is gravy.
"I want to see him get on base relentlessly," said Padres manager Andy Green. "If power happens with that mentality, great. If it doesn't, great. There are enough guys on this team that hit the ball out of the ballpark."
On Thursday, that list of home-run hitters included Urias. He demolished a third-inning offering from Royals lefty Jake Diekman to the deepest part of Surprise Stadium, clearing the center-field fence by 20 feet.
Green's point is still well-taken. The Padres have been fine in the power department over the past few seasons. But they've finished last in the Majors in OBP five years in a row. In that same time, Urias has reached at a .397 clip in the Minors.
Covering the bases
First: Fernando Tatis Jr. continued his torrid start to the spring, boosting his Cactus League average to .364 with an opposite-field double in the sixth. In three at-bats Thursday, he also struck out and walked (though he was picked off first base immediately following the walk).
Second: Eric Lauer, a strong rotation favorite, made his spring debut with two hitless frames against Kansas City. He made things difficult on himself in the second, walking two and making an error on a pickoff attempt. But Lauer struck out Cam Gallagher to end the threat.
Third: Cal Quantrill and Bryan Mitchell are at very different stages in their careers. But both need big-time spring performances to crack the Opening Day rotation. They did themselves no favors Thursday. Quantrill allowed four hits and two runs in his two innings. Mitchell, meanwhile, walked in the winning run with the bases loaded in the ninth -- one of five walks over his 2 2/3 innings.
Home: There's still no official word on Manny Machado's spring debut. But it won’t be Friday, and Saturday's game against the Giants remains a distinct possibility. Said Green: "We're going to take it day by day. ... We'll watch how the work goes today, watch how the work goes tomorrow and continue to talk."
Up next
Jacob Nix continues his rotation quest Friday night as the Padres head to Glendale for their first matchup with the division-rival Dodgers. First pitch is slated for 5:05 p.m. PT. Righty setup man Craig Stammen and righty prospect Pedro Avila are also slated to pitch.