CINCINNATI -- Ty France got jammed in his final Triple-A at-bat last week. He punched a weak ground ball to shortstop for a double play, which dropped France’s average below .400. Shortly thereafter, he was back in the big leagues.

The Padres slugger would've loved to have kept his average at that milestone mark. He's also fine with falling one point shy -- if it means he gets to spend the next month and a half in the big leagues.

That seems likely. When Fernando Tatis Jr. landed on the injured list with a stress reaction in his back, it was France who got the call. For the remainder of the season, France is going to receive semi-regular playing time.

In no uncertain terms, it's an audition for his place on the 2020 roster.

France is unlikely to ever have a settled everyday job in San Diego, given that his primary positions are first and third base. The Padres, of course, have committed a combined $444 million to Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado in the past two offseasons.

But France has begun receiving reps at second base this year. He's going to play there frequently down the stretch with Luis Urias having shifted to shortstop, and he might also get a start or two at first base to spell Hosmer.

"Whatever it takes to get on the field, I don't really care," France said. "If it's second base, left field, catcher, whatever helps me get out there, I'll do it. I'm looking forward to the challenge. ... The more positions I can play, the more value I add to the team."

And that's the thing: Even if France isn't by definition a starter, the club thinks he can bring plenty of value.

The Padres have placed an emphasis on building a more complete roster. In the future, they want to take better advantage of matchups. They’d also like more weapons off the bench, and they want versatile pieces for late-game maneuvering.

France fits those molds. It's easy to envision him opening the 2020 campaign as a vital bench piece. He'd serve as a backup at three infield spots, and he'd be a useful pinch-hit threat against left-handed pitching.

"He has types of pitchers he hits very, very well, and he is an offensive force that can come off the bench and impact a game,” Green said. “He can be versatile late in the game in double-switch possibilities. … That [bench] possibility is there. But it's also not a limiting factor. That can be how it starts out, and it can turn into more."

First, France needs to translate his Triple-A success to the big leagues. He hasn't quite done that yet. France is hitting just .218 in 38 games for the Padres this year.

"All he needs to do right now is go play his game," Green said. "Don't change anything. Don't do anything differently. We believe in his bat. His bat can help us win baseball games."

As for the notion that France's Triple-A success is tainted because of the hitting environment in the Pacific Coast League, the Padres aren't buying it. Only one player can lead the league in average and OPS. It’s France.

"It's crazy impressive," Green said. "I don't care where you do it. That's crazy impressive. Those are video game type numbers."

Added France: "Hitting in El Paso isn't as easy as people make it sound. I knew when I was hitting .406 and when I was hitting .399. But it never factored into what I was thinking. I just went out and played hard."

Now, the Padres are asking him to do the same in the Majors.

Mejia starts in left

Right now, the Padres can't afford to leave Francisco Mejia's bat out of their lineup. But they didn't want the rookie backstop catching three games in Cincinnati this week. The solution? Mejia’s second career start in left field.

With Austin Hedges behind the dish, Mejia took over in left on Tuesday night. He entered play hitting .348/.389/.573 during the second half.

"Franky's quite simply been one of the best hitters in baseball in August," Green said. "There was no chance he was going to catch three games this series. So when he's not behind the dish, in moments like this when he's swinging the bat as hot as he has ... it makes sense to try to work him in there."

Green went on to note that it's still unlikely Mejia would ever receive regular time in the outfield. Tuesday merely presented the perfect confluence of events. Reds righty Sonny Gray figures to be a tough matchup on outfielders Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe, who opened the game on the bench.

El Paso Strong Night

The El Paso Chihuahuas announced plans for "El Paso Strong Night" on Saturday at Southwest University Park as “a celebration of the El Paso community and a commemoration of the victims of the Aug. 3rd tragedy.”

The club will donate a portion of each fundraising ticket to the El Paso Victims Fund. The Chihuahuas will also auction the El Paso caps worn by the Padres during batting practice on Aug. 8 for the Victims Fund.