Versatile Rosario mashing righties with Padres roster spot in his sights

PEORIA, Ariz. -- If he earns it this spring, Eguy Rosario has a clear path to a place on the Padres¡¯ roster. He¡¯s a potentially valuable bench piece -- a versatile defender who crushes left-handed pitching. And if he¡¯s hitting against righties, too? Even better.

During Monday afternoon's 10-5 loss to the Cubs at Peoria Stadium, Rosario pulverized a laser-beam two-run homer to the opposite field against Chicago right-hander Ben Brown. In three Cactus League games, Rosario is now 3-for-8 with a double and a home run. All three of those hits have come against right-handed pitching.

¡°I spent a lot of time in the winter in the Dominican League hitting against right-handers, so I think I¡¯ve learned a lot,¡± Rosario said through interpreter Danny Sanchez. ¡°I¡¯m looking to get better.¡±

The Padres clearly want a good, long look at Rosario over the next month. He is out of options, and on the fringe of the roster. He¡¯s also a 25-year-old who hasn¡¯t been given much chance to break through in the big leagues. Across parts of the past three seasons, Rosario has totaled only 100 plate appearances -- and posted a solid .783 OPS.

Rosario batted leadoff in a lineup full of regulars on Monday. He¡¯s also played three positions in three games: second base, third base and, on Monday, left field. That last one is new -- a work in progress, this spring.

¡°It¡¯s fun,¡± Rosario quipped. ¡°I like the view from out there.¡±

As things stand, there seem to be two non-catcher spots available on the Padres' bench. The competition has been fierce this spring, with Gavin Sheets, Yuli Gurriel and Oscar Gonzalez among the standouts. Tirso Ornelas launched his first Cactus League homer on Monday, too.

But Rosario would seem to have a leg up on that group because of his versatility -- particularly if he can handle left field. He saw three fly balls on Monday and caught them with relative ease (though, as ever, the Arizona sun proved a bit of a challenge).

If Rosario were to make the roster, the Padres could use him to give DH days to Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth. Rosario could also join the left field/DH mix, which already includes Connor Joe and Jason Heyward. Perhaps most notably, Rosario could give manager Mike Shildt some flexibility for in-game maneuvering because of his versatility. But first, Rosario has to win the job.

¡°For me, the competition is within myself,¡± Rosario said. ¡°In my head, I¡¯m just going out there, trying to give my all, being the best that I can be whenever I hit the field. For me, that¡¯s the main focus.¡±

Darvish day on back fields
Yu Darvish has yet to appear in a Cactus League game, and won¡¯t until early March. Instead, his first two outings have come in non-game settings -- a simulated game at Peoria Stadium last week and two scoreless innings during an intrasquad game on a back field Monday.

¡°I thought it was very good in general,¡± Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. ¡°The fastball had some life to it. I think the offspeed stuff had some sharpness to it. I¡¯m pretty happy with where I am.¡±

Darvish hasn¡¯t had a spring like this in a while. For various reasons -- the lockout in 2022, the World Baseball Classic in ¡®23 and the season-opening series in Korea in ¡®24 -- it¡¯s been a few years since Darvish was last afforded a full build-up.

¡°It¡¯s a little bit more free and easy,¡± Darvish said. ¡°You know that you have some time. If there¡¯s a little bit of funk going on with whatever it may be, you¡¯re still thinking in your mind you have time to fix it and move forward.¡±

V¨¢squez¡¯s turn
The Padres¡¯ top four starters -- Darvish, Dylan Cease, Michael King and Nick Pivetta -- have yet to appear in a Cactus League game. Instead, the race for the No. 5 spot in the rotation has taken center stage.

Randy V¨¢squez is among the contenders -- perhaps one of the favorites. He made his Cactus League debut Monday, allowing five hits over two innings, though he limited the Cubs to just one run.

¡°I thought Randy was good,¡± Shildt said. ¡°Randy likes to play traffic cop. ¡­ But I thought Randy¡¯s stuff was good. He was around the plate. First time on the mound, stuff came out [good]. All the [pitch] shapes, everyone was pleased with. Overall, good first start.¡±

Stephen Kolek, who is also in the mix, is slated to make his first start on Tuesday against the Angels.