Padres keep Gore, Pati?o at ambling pace

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres -- like their entire fan base -- are eager to see MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patiño in action against big league hitters this spring. They also know it wouldn't be prudent to rush things with their top two pitching prospects.

Gore and Pati?o are in Major League camp for the first time this spring. As a result, the Padres are being cautious in building up two of their brightest young arms. Manager Jayce Tingler indicated that duo probably won't get into game action until early March.

"This is their first Spring Training," Tingler said. "They probably haven't been prepared to throw seven to eight months. I don't want to call it a slow play, but it's been planned ever since their invite. They're going start cranking into games maybe a week or two later than some of the other guys."

If anything, Tingler's words should be cause for excitement among Padres fans. Gore and Pati?o are still long shots for a place on the Opening Day roster. But reading between the lines, it sounds as though the Padres expect both to contribute in the big leagues this season. Why else would Tingler offer a seven- to eight-month timetable?

A season ago, Gore took home MLB Pipeline's Pitcher of the Year honor, posting a 1.69 ERA with a 35.7 percent strikeout rate between Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore and Double-A Amarillo. At the same two levels, Pati?o was nearly as dominant, recording a 2.57 ERA while punching out 31.4 percent of opposing hitters.

Pati?o faced hitters in a live session on Sunday. Gore followed him by doing the same on Monday, his 21st birthday.

Dozier arrives
Second baseman Brian Dozier completed his physical and joined the team on Monday morning. Dozier, who played for the 2019 World Series-winning Nationals, said negotiations with the Padres began in December. They finally came to fruition on Sunday.

"It was the best fit for me," Dozier said.

The Padres have regular playing time available at second base, and that's what Dozier is after. His contract is a Minor League deal with a non-roster invitation to big league camp. But he's an early favorite for a roster spot.

Dozier has reached the postseason in three straight years with three separate teams. Obviously, he'd love to make it four in four. He was on the wrong end of the 2018 World Series with the Dodgers before winning it with the Nationals last fall.

"Coming up short two years ago and then doing it last year, you kind of see the point of emphasis on a lot of things that have to take place," Dozier said. "... I like to win. And I like to have fun, too."

Johnson relishes opportunity
Right-hander Pierce Johnson grew up a Padres fan, and his father was the team's vice president of marketing for seven years in the 1990s. So you can probably guess his reaction when the Padres offered him a two-year contract this winter.

"Just the fact that I got to sign here was surreal," Johnson said. "It hasn't quite hit me yet. But I'm loving every minute of it."

Johnson, 28, made his Padres spring debut on Sunday, working a hitless inning against the Brewers while striking out a pair. A journeyman with an intriguing backstory, Johnson put it all together last season in Japan. He posted a 1.38 ERA with 14 strikeouts per nine innings for the Hanshin Tigers.

Of course, Johnson hasn’t yet had success in the big leagues, where he owns a 5.44 ERA over 38 career appearances. In that regard, the Padres' decision to give him a big league deal -- in an already crowded bullpen -- was something of a gamble.

It's easy to see why they took that gamble: Johnson's curveball is a serious weapon. His 2,971 spin rate puts the pitch in the top 2 percent of all curveballs, and opponents are hitting just .216 against the pitch. Statcast data indicates that number should be even lower, based on the soft contact hitters make -- when they even hit it.

"It's the pitch that got me drafted," Johnson said. "It's been my strikeout pitch. It's my bread and butter."

When he pitched for the Giants two years ago, Johnson's biggest issue was his control. His walk rate dropped from 11.8 percent in San Francisco to 5.8 percent in Japan.

"I threw a lot more strikes," Johnson said. "And, really, I think I was just more consistent."

A strike-thrower with a potentially elite curveball -- that’s the precisely the version of Johnson the Padres are banking on this season.

Up next
The Padres are slated for their first home game of Spring Training at 12:10 p.m. PT on Tuesday when they face the A's at Peoria Stadium. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi, the favorite for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, gets the ball first, with lefty relief weapon Matt Strahm scheduled to follow him.