As the season starts to wind down, the San Diego Padres may look to give some of their younger players a shot to show what they can do. After all, their playoff chances seem bleak, so it’s never too early to start looking ahead to next season.
One of those players is third baseman Eguy Rosario, who could end up taking more time down the stretch. He is the Padres 14th ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and he made his first career start on Sunday against the Houston Astros.
It was an up-and-down day for Rosario, as he committed an error early in the game. He misplayed a ground ball hit by Jose Abreu, which allowed a run to score. But he didn’t give up and ended up hitting his first career home run in the seventh inning.
Manager Bob Melvin praised Rosario for sticking to things, even after the error early on in his start.
“You like to see a guy respond like that,” Melvin said.
This is how players learn at the big-league level. It’s trial and error, but with where the Padres are in the standings, it’s needed.
They may as well lean on their younger players to see if they have anything for the future. It’s the smart way to go about the final few weeks, and it seems that San Diego may be understanding this.
Even star outfielder Juan Soto showed some encouragement to Rosario after his debut.
"He's been good through the Minor Leagues, and we know what kind of player he is,” Soto said. “An error won't mean anything. Everybody has them. We know what he can bring to the team, so I'm happy for him that he got his first [homer].”
Rosario will be one to watch as the season winds down in the next few weeks. This Padres team only has a slim chance of reaching the postseason, so the clock is ticking on their season.
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