Hart's bid for rotation really gets rolling

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Kyle Hart signed shortly after Padres camp had begun, and he missed a couple turns through the starting rotation with an illness that sidelined him for several days.

Yet, after throwing three-plus innings against the Diamondbacks in the split-squad Padres’ 5-4 loss on Sunday afternoon, Hart is right where he needs to be as he battles for the final spot in the San Diego rotation.

“Maybe a few days ago, I’d have been surprised [to get fully built up],” said Hart, who threw 59 pitches, 36 for strikes. “But after feeling how I feel right now, I would not be surprised. I feel really good.”

The results were somewhat mixed. Hart allowed two runs on five hits and struck out three. But those hits were mostly of the seeing-eye variety. Even Corbin Carroll’s solo homer was a product of the windy environs. Per Statcast, the ball had a .150 expected batting average and would have been a homer in only one of 30 big league ballparks (Houston).

Of course, the results are sort of beside the point in Cactus League play. Hart’s stuff looked sharp, particularly his sweeper. It’s a pitch he began developing last spring, while the NC Dinos -- his team in Korea -- went through Spring Training in nearby Tucson.

In total, Hart threw sweepers/sliders with 26 of his 59 pitches -- and he recorded called strikes with nine of them.

“I’m pretty simple-minded out there at times,” Hart said. “If guys are hitting something, I’m going to try not to throw that. And if guys aren’t hitting something, I’m going to throw that more. It’s going to change every week probably. But today, I just felt like they weren’t swinging at the sweeper a lot, so I was just going to try to throw it in there as much as I could.”

Technically, it counted as Hart’s first appearance of the spring, though he pitched two scoreless innings earlier this month against Milwaukee in a game that was cut short due to rain (another unexpected setback, as he planned to work three innings that day).

Despite the awkward nature of his Spring Training, Hart is squarely in the mix for the final rotation spot, competing alongside Randy Vásquez and Stephen Kolek.

“I was in really bad shape for like two days,” Hart said of his illness. “Thankfully, the trainers were able to get me everything I needed, and I was able to bounce back this week.

“It was extremely frustrating, given where we’re at in camp, and I’m trying to compete for a spot and all that. But I [was] able to put that out of my mind and just work today.”

Saturday night out
Manny Machado took a handful of his Padres teammates on a road trip Saturday night.

Well, a trip home, really.

Machado is part-owner of San Diego FC, which is playing its first MLS season this year. Its second home match took place Saturday, so Machado chartered a jet back to San Diego and organized a group outing for a handful of his teammates.

They flew out of nearby Deer Valley airport, with a car service taking them to and from Snapdragon Stadium, before flying back after the game -- a 1-1 draw between San Diego FC and the Columbus Crew.

“It was a first-class experience,” said Joe Musgrove. “I know he’s super excited about his team and very proud of it.”

Musgrove, a native San Diegan, was at the center of the pregame festivities, walking an LED soccer ball with the SDFC logo to midfield, before pumping up the crowd.

“Seeing the excitement last night, it was great,” Musgrove said.

Cease sharp in Tempe
Dylan Cease looks ready. Perhaps even Opening Day-ready?

Pitching for the split-squad Padres who earned a 4-2 victory over the Angels in Tempe, Cease pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out eight.

Cease remains the favorite for the Opening Day nod, though manager Mike Shildt has yet to make that announcement. He hinted it would come Monday.

Roster battles continue
The Padres brought a number of roster contenders with them to Tempe (while the majority of the regulars played in Peoria). Jose Iglesias notched two hits, while Tyler Wade hit an RBI triple against the Angels.

Meanwhile, in the loss to the Diamondbacks at Peoria Stadium, Luis Campusano accounted for three runs with a booming home run. Campusano is vying for the No. 2 catcher spot behind presumed starter Elias Díaz.