SAN DIEGO -- The latest position change in his topsy-turvy defensive career is official: William Myers is a third baseman. And the Angels wasted no time getting him acclimated to his new position on Monday night.
Baseball has a funny way of indoctrinating neophyte defenders to their new positions. In the Padres' 6-3 loss in 10 innings at Petco Park, Myers was peppered early and often, and he nearly broke a franchise assists record in the process.
Myers, who was reinstated from the disabled list prior to the game, played eight innings and had nine baseballs hit in his direction. He made every play, including eight assists, which fell one shy of the Padres' record for a third baseman in a nine-inning game.
"I would rather have a game like this, just throw me in the action," Myers said. "It was nice. I felt good, felt comfortable."
With lefty sinkerballer Clayton Richard on the mound, the Angels loaded their lineup with right-handed hitters, and the Padres fully expected Myers to be tested. He told reporters before the game that he'd prefer the first pitch to be hit his way.
He had to wait until the third pitch -- a Kole Calhoun liner that he snagged out of mid-air. The Angels' next three balls in play were also hit to Myers. He charged a pair of slow choppers and threw on the run for the next two outs in the first. He made two more plays in the second.

Myers proceeded to turn one ground ball into an out in every inning from the fourth through the seventh. He was double-switched out of the game before the ninth inning, sitting one assist shy of Kevin Kouzmanoff's franchise record, which he set in 2008.
The mechanics weren't always flawless. Myers needlessly backhanded a few grounders, and a couple of his throws were high (though only slightly). It's hard to argue with the results, though.
"He's got great hands, great ability, great athleticism," Padres manager Andy Green said. "You saw just a really good feel out there of ground balls and how to play them. He's backing up on some, charging others. We just told him to trust your instincts."
For the past month or so, Myers has worked extensively at third base, as the Padres hatched a plan to turn him into a versatile roster piece who could shift between the infield and outfield.
That plan was temporarily put on hold when Myers fouled a ball off his left foot two weeks ago and landed on the disabled list with a bone bruise. He returned Monday, with Carlos Asuaje optioned to Triple-A El Paso.
"I'm just playing on the other side of the infield than I did the last two years," said Myers, who played first base in 2016 and '17. "I just need to pick it up and throw it across the diamond."
It's not a one-time deal either. The Padres plan to give Myers an extensive look at third over the next month-and-a-half, though he'll probably play a few games in left field as well. They're also going to evaluate Christian Villanueva -- who was displaced at third base by Myers -- as a second baseman.
Green noted the timing of the moves. The Padres sit 25 games below .500 and plan to use the remainder of the season to learn about the capabilities of their roster before they need to make a handful of offseason decisions.

"Where we are in the process right now, it only makes sense to try some things," Green said.
Versatility has always been a critical part of Myers' skill set. He played first base until the Padres signed Eric Hosmer to an eight-year deal. That necessitated a move back to the outfield, where he spent his first three big league seasons -- including an ill-fated stint in center field in '15.
For the most part, third base is a new challenge for Myers, though he was committed to play third at South Carolina before he was drafted as a catcher by Kansas City. He spent two seasons behind the plate in the Royals' system, but he was mostly an outfielder otherwise. He played 15 games at third in the Minors in 2012, but has played only one inning there since.
"He's probably more athletic than 99 percent of Major League infielders," Green said. "He can throw, he's got great hands. It's just -- how comfortable are you getting reads at third base when you haven't played over there a lot. Physically, he can do all of it. It's just going to be a learning process."
Myers has excelled in left field this season. Privately, the Padres feel the best way to keep him sharp there is to challenge him elsewhere, keeping him engaged.
Some players might struggle with the challenges of regular positional changes. With Myers, the Padres are convinced the opposite is true. He's antsy by nature and has expressed a desire to play on the dirt, calling himself, "at heart, an infielder."
"The more variety you give him, the more intrigued he stays," Green said. "He loves it. He loves moving around. … He enjoys being a unique defensive weapon as well as an offensive weapon."
The move certainly makes sense, from a strategic standpoint. The Padres haven't yet found their long-term solution at third base. Villanueva has slumped since winning National League Rookie of the Month in April. There aren't any big league-ready options in the Minors either.
Still, the Padres don't expect Myers to become their long-term solution at third. They'd just like him to be available there to provide lineup flexibility -- akin to the way the Cubs rotate Kristopher Bryant, Benjamin Zobrist and Ian Happ to open room for other players in their lineup.
"Any time I can move a position, we can get the right bat in the order, whether it's moving to the infield or to the outfield," Myers said. "... I definitely want to be that option for the team, be able to move around wherever I need to."