Team cortisone shot…Team home run ball. Pick either one and it will tell you all you need to know about where the Padres are as they’ve opened this 7-game homestand.

Injuries and home run balls are really the bulk of the conversation points right now with a team struggling to stay above the .500 mark in the standings.

The Friars have lost two first basemen in the first month of the season, plus two pitchers.

Wil Myers has severe tendenitis in his left wrist the end result of a head first slide.  He has  swelling, fluid buildup, and inflammation, but luckily, no torn ligaments. A Wednesday cortisone injection has helped.

Yonder Alonso has had a cortisone injection too, to help with a deep shoulder bone bruise.  He has already regained full range of motion, and will increase his weight room workouts, but no baseball activities are planned for at least another week.

On the pitching front, an injection has helped quiet down the hot spots in the right shoulder of Brandon Morrow, and he is beginning soft toss, but he could be 2-to-3 weeks out from rejoining the staff.

The long rehab for Josh Johnson continues, following pain above his right elbow.  He is throwing long toss, but faces another longer road before any judgement can be made on when he will be ready to pitch in a game.  The feeling is he pushed too hard in his first 40-pitch simulated game, so they will back off the intensity again.

The other topic oft conversation is the alarming number of home runs balls Padres pitchers have thrown.  The tally count is 51 in 35-games heading into the Washington National-San Diego series.

The Padres .500 record has come against lineups with some pop, notably the Dodgers-Rockies-Giants and Diamondbacks, but the 51-total, and the 15-allowed by the bullpen is like a red flag of trouble.

Bud Black and Darren Balsley echoed the comments almost simultaneously.  Bad pitch location, and falling behind in the count.  That and the respect that some of these lineups deserve.

This 7-game homestand carries some importance, for the Padres want to remain in sight of the lst place Dodgers.  Washington’s big bats are here this weekend, then Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant with the Cubs, followed by road trips to meet the Dodgers and Angels, and you know all about Mike Trout and Adrian Gonzalez..

The Friars need to keep the ball in the yard, or else they might find themselves out of the race for lst place by June lst.  Getting healthy with no more hurts would help too.

Please follow and like us: