Padres looking to buy at deadline despite struggles

While the Padres were swept in Saturday’s doubleheader against the Phillies, dropping their season record to 44-49 that puts them 10 games back in the NL West, the club is nonetheless expected to pursue additions prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline. 

Club chairman Peter Seidler indicated as much earlier in the month, and now Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds additional details about the team’s expected deadline approach. 

While San Diego will look to make additions, Heyman suggests it will be a far more modest than the massive outlay last year that brought back Juan Soto, Josh Hader, and Josh Bell. The club reportedly hopes to add a bat to the lineup, along with possibly a relief arm to the bullpen.

With clear starters entrenched all across the infield and outfield, the clearest hole in the club’s lineup appears to be at designated hitter. The club recently released Nelson Cruz, and fellow offseason signing Matt Carpenter has struggled similarly with a 76 wRC+ in 191 plate appearances this season. 

Rougned Odor and Brandon Dixon have also mixed in recently, though both are also hitting well below league average. Given this need at DH, the Padres should have plenty of options on the rental market. 

Speculatively speaking, Tommy Pham would certainly improve the club’s production at the DH spot, while a more versatile player like Cody Bellinger could do the same while also mixing in at all three outfield spots and at first base.

More from around the NL West:

• Sticking with the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. exited play against the Phillies Saturday with an apparent injury. As noted by Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune, manager Bob Melvin told reporters that Tatis suffered a twisted ankle on the warning track and left the game after his ankle began to swell. Tatis is currently considered day-to-day, though given Tatis’s injury history and importance to the Padres, it would hardly be surprising if the club decided to sit him for a game or two to ensure the issue doesn’t become more significant.
• Giants left-hander Alex Wood is slated to take the ball for a start Sunday against the Pirates, as noted by Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle. Across 50 innings of work this season, Wood sports a 4.68 ERA and 4.74 FIP. He was moved to the bullpen at the end of June and sports a 3.09 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work since then, including two five-inning, scoreless appearances. Now, Wood will get another opportunity as a member of the club’s starting rotation where he will be joined by Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Ross Stripling.
• The Dodgers have struggled to keep their starting pitchers healthy this season as each of Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Noah Syndergaard, Ryan Pepiot, Michael Grove, and Gavin Stone have spent time on the injured list throughout the season. Fortunately for L.A., the club appears poised to get reinforcements from the injured list in the near future, with both Syndergaard and Pepiot beginning rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Pepiot made his first appearance since spring training with Oklahoma City Friday, allowing one run over two innings while racking up two strikeouts. Syndergaard, meanwhile, allowed two runs on four hits over five innings of work in a start Saturday evening, striking out six without issuing a walk. Both pitchers, if healthy and effective, figure to impact a Dodgers club that has surged to recapture the lead in the NL West race in recent days.