SAN DIEGO -- The Padres lost one MVP candidate to injury last month. But they might have another MVP candidate emerging in Fernando Tatis Jr.'s stead.

Over the past two months, Manny Machado has been arguably the most impactful player in baseball. According to FanGraphs, his 2.7 wins above replacement in that span are the most in the Majors. Since June 10, Machado is hitting .346/.403/.643 with an absurd 173 wRC+, all while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base, too.

"Without Fernando right now, I would say that Manny's stepped up -- but really he's just so good and consistent all the time," manager Jayce Tingler said.

In a way, that's precisely what the Padres needed: solidity. Their most electric player is out of the lineup while he recovers from his latest left shoulder subluxation. The timeline for Tatis’ return remains somewhat uncertain, with Tingler noting that Tatis remains "a ways away" (even as he continues to get regular pregame reps in the outfield).

With Tatis out, the heaviest burden was always going to fall on Machado, and sure enough, he's delivered. Since Tatis dislocated his shoulder in a game on July 30, Machado is 13-for-36 (.361) with three homers.

Machado seems unlikely to garner serious MVP consideration unless he can maintain this torrid pace through the remainder of the season. (Would you put it past him though?) Ultimately, Machado started perhaps a bit too slowly, hitting just .233/.328/.403 through May, having missed some time while dealing with a balky shoulder himself.

But in some ways, the 2021 season is shaping up in a similar manner to the '20 campaign -- albeit played over a larger slate of games. Machado had a dreadful first quarter of the season in '20, too. Then, he got red-hot and finished as the first-team All-MLB third baseman. He’s currently a favorite for that honor once again.

"He's able to get on base, he's able to drive the ball out of the ballpark, he has big at-bats,” Tingler said. “You feel so good with him at the plate, and also on defense when the ball is hit in his direction. There's so many good things that he does. He's just so consistently good."

As for the MVP Award, Tatis remains the clear frontrunner, leading the NL in homers, steals and WAR, despite three separate stints on the injured list this season.

Still, before 2020, the Padres had never had multiple players finish in the top five of MVP Award voting. That suddenly looks like it might happen in back-to-back seasons.

Tatis continues OF work
Tuesday marked the first day that Tatis was eligible to be activated from the IL. That didn’t happen – but the "Tatis Outfield Experiment" continued in earnest nonetheless.

Ahead of Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Tatis received further instruction in the outfield, as it seems increasingly likely that when he returns, he will do so as a center or right fielder.

"If, potentially, that is the best way to get him back to play for this year, it's something we're serious about exploring and looking into," Tingler said.

Tatis was on the field early, working with Padres coaches on getting reads and jumps in right field. He played a few dozen fungoes hit from the vicinity of home plate. Then he shagged fly balls in right field during batting practice.

Tatis didn't take on-field BP, however, as he had on Monday, and Tingler noted that his progress has been slow and steady.

"We don't have a timeline on the exact return-to-play,” Tingler said. “We're still a ways away. But our goals right now are just continuing to do a little bit more each day. … It's been a pretty slow build-up, but, with that being said, he's progressing well."

Lamet's bullpen role?
Dinelson Lamet threw another simulated inning on Tuesday afternoon, as he approaches a return from the right-elbow issue that has sidelined him since late June (and forced him into four separate stints on the IL this season).

Since then, the Padres have decided to shift Lamet into a bullpen role for the remainder of the year to preserve his health. It won’t be long before Lamet gets his first game action as a full-time reliever, perhaps as soon as this weekend in Arizona.

The upside is huge, and the Padres envision Lamet as a potential back-end weapon. But Tingler noted that when the right-hander first returns, the Padres will be looking for a soft landing spot in the middle innings.