Kolek's stuff impresses Padres in first spring start: 'Loved it'

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Stephen Kolek, a right-hander with a five-pitch mix, is making the transition from the bullpen to the rotation this spring.

Sure helps that there¡¯s another righty -- with precisely the same five-pitch mix -- who made precisely the same transition last spring.

So, yes, as Kolek embarks on his quest for a rotation spot in Padres camp, he¡¯s been watching Michael King closely.

¡°Being a starter, how you go about it is a little bit different,¡± Kolek said earlier this spring. ¡°You¡¯re going through an outing, thinking a little bit more about how you get through a whole lineup. You¡¯re not necessarily going here¡¯s two pitches to get a guy out.

¡°Getting to use the whole arsenal and learning to sequence a little bit, it¡¯s a lot of fun. I would say my arsenal is fairly similar to King¡¯s, so getting to talk with King after some of my outings or bullpens, seeing how he goes about things, [I¡¯m] kind of learning from him.¡±

Kolek made his first Cactus League start in the Padres¡¯ 2-1 loss to the Angels on Tuesday afternoon, working two scoreless innings while allowing two hits with a pair of strikeouts. He intentionally used a fastball-heavy mix, but worked in all five of his offerings -- four-seamer, two-seamer, changeup, cutter and sweeper.

There¡¯s clearly a lot to like regarding Kolek¡¯s stuff. That arsenal was a major part of the team¡¯s decision to move him to the rotation. The 27-year-old right-hander also has the mindset of a starter.

¡°Getting to game plan and find more ways to get guys out -- that¡¯s a lot of fun,¡± Kolek said.

The Padres certainly aren¡¯t expecting Kolek¡¯s transition to be as simple as King¡¯s. They¡¯re pitchers at very different points on their trajectories. King was a rotation lock on the verge of ascending to ace status.

Kolek, meanwhile, was a Rule 5 Draft flier last season. He¡¯s viewed as a depth option for now, battling for the final spot in the rotation. And he made a strong early statement on Tuesday.

¡°Loved it,¡± manager Mike Shildt said. ¡°Loved the attack, loved the stuff, loved the fact that he filled up the zone. ¡­ He looked in control. I thought he did a nice job.¡±

Another arm in the mix

The Padres have agreed to a Minor League deal with left-hander Wes Benjamin, who reported to big league camp as a non-roster invitee on Tuesday. Benjamin spent the past three seasons as a starting pitcher in Korea, though his role with the Padres is TBD.

¡°I¡¯m here to help the team however I can, add some depth I¡¯m sure,¡± Benjamin said. ¡°More importantly, I just want to get in front of some guys here and show what I can do. That¡¯s the biggest goal for me, coming back from overseas. No one really knows that much about me anymore. I feel like I¡¯m a changed pitcher since I was [last in the Majors].¡±

Benjamin made 21 appearances (three starts) for the Rangers in 2020-21, posting a 6.80 ERA. Following the ¡®21 season, he left for the KBO, where he notched a 3.74 ERA over three years, starting regularly for the KT Wiz.

¡°I enjoyed it a lot -- it got me out of my comfort zone,¡± Benjamin said. ¡°Over there, there¡¯s a lot of contact, so being able to miss bats was a big addition for me, and I¡¯m excited to see how things play out over here. The biggest thing, too, I think was just gaining innings. I needed to avoid that up-and-down.¡±

Not coincidentally, Benjamin¡¯s locker is situated next to Kyle Hart, another lefty who is making the move back from the KBO to the U.S. this season.

It¡¯s most likely that Benjamin would begin the season by serving as rotation depth in the Minor Leagues. He began his progression on Tuesday, throwing his first bullpen.

Worth noting

? Fernando Tatis Jr. briefly returned to Padres camp on Tuesday, but he was sent home as he continues to deal with the flu, Shildt said. It remains unclear when Tatis will make his Cactus League debut.

? Hart pitched two innings in a back-field game on Tuesday, which could line him up for a Cactus League debut this weekend or early next week.

? Right-hander Juan Nu?ez, a Rule 5 Draft pick, threw his first formal bullpen session on Tuesday. After dealing with a right shoulder injury last season, Nu?ez is being brought along slowly this spring.