News
Injuries force Friars to field young team
San Diego (35-50) at San Francisco (47-38), 7:15 p.m. PT
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
07/10/09 1:30 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- There is not a whole lot of Major League service time on the Padres' 25-man roster, as injuries have turned what was already a young team into an even greener one this week.There are seven players on the Padres' active roster who have made their Major League debut this season and four others who did the same at some point who are no longer on the 25-man roster.
That veterans David Eckstein, Brian Giles, Cliff Floyd and Jake Peavy are all stuck on the disabled list doesn't help.
"We're a young club with a bunch of young guys who are learning and competing," Padres manager Bud Black said Thursday before the start of the four-game series at AT&T Park against the San Francisco Giants.
These young players -- like outfielder Kyle Blanks, shortstop Everth Cabrera and pitchers Luis Perdomo and Ryan Webb -- figure to see a lot of playing time during the second half of the season.
San Diego general manager Kevin Towers has said that he wants to see what players like Blanks, regarded as one of the organization's top prospects, are capable of. The final two-plus months will be used to evaluate these players.
"These guys are gaining valuable experience by playing big league games," Black said.
With the trade of outfielder Scott Hairston, the Padres could use an outfield mix of Chase Headley [Major League debut in 2008], Tony Gwynn in center [who has played in 173 career games] and either Blanks, who made his debut this season, or Will Venable, who made his last September, in right field.
How do you manage a team that is so young?
"You try to give them all the guidance and with that, give them the information that's going to help them help the Padres win," Black said.
Players who have made their Major League debut with the Padres this season include pitchers Luis Perdomo, Greg Burke, Arturo Lopez, Edwin Moreno Walter Silva, Ryan Webb, catcher Jose Lobaton, Cabrera and Blanks.
Pitching matchupSD: RHP Josh Banks (1-0, 5.60 ERA)
Banks struggled in his first start this season after two pretty good long-relief outings. Facing the Dodgers on July 5, the right-hander allowed home runs to Casey Blake, Andre Ethier and even pitcher Chad Billingsley. All told, Banks, who didn't factor in the decision after the Padres came back with five runs in the ninth inning to force extra innings, allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings. Banks will return to AT&T Park, where he had the best outing of his career a year ago when he allowed one run in a complete-game victory over the Giants. SF: LHP Jonathan Sanchez (2-8, 5.30 ERA)
Randy Johnson will not take his regular turn in the Giants rotation after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a strained left shoulder. In the Big Unit's stead, Sanchez will make his first start since he was relegated to the bullpen on June 27. Sanchez tossed three shutout innings in that role, last pitching on July 3. In two starts against the San Diego Padres this season, Sanchez is 0-2, having allowed seven earned runs in 10 2/3 innings. Tidbits
San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who will play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday for the second time in as many years, won't get a day off between now and the end of this series after talking with Black about it. Gonzalez has appeared in every Padres game dating to August 15, 2007, a stretch of 291 games. The club record is 305 consecutive games set by Steve Garvey. ... The Padres haven't named a starting pitcher for Saturday yet, though there appears to be a good chance the team will handle the start internally, perhaps using long relievers Perdomo and Mike Ekstrom to cover the start. Another option, adding Tim Stauffer from Triple-A Portland, would mean opening a spot on the 40-man roster, which is something the team would probably not want to do. ... Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff was 11-for-32 lifetime against Tim Lincecum after collecting a hit off the Giants ace Thursday. Tickets
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• XPRS 1090, XEMO 860 (Español) Up next
• Saturday: Padres (TBD) at Giants (Matt Cain, 10-2, 2.42), 6:05 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Padres (Kevin Correia, 5-7, 4.58) at Giants (Barry Zito, 5-8, 4.43), 1:05 p.m. PT
• Monday: Off-day
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
