Anderson Espinoza is playing catch at a distance of 75 feet.

At this time last year, he was on a mound. In March, he pitched in an intrasquad game. It appeared the Padres’ former No. 1 prospect might be on the verge of re-assuming a climb to the majors after Tommy John surgery in August of 2017.

But there was something wrong, always something nagging when he threw.

“It never felt really good,” Espinoza said Saturday. “I always felt something in my elbow. … I felt sore, pain, uncomfortable, everything in the same spot.”


Near the end of April, he again had the reconstructive surgery on his right (throwing) elbow, which generally requires 14 to 18 months of laborious rehabilitation.

While he is technically not as close to returning this spring as he was his first time in big-league camp a year ago, he feels closer.

“Right now, I feel way different. I changed my nutrition and something in my mechanics,” he said. “The day after when I wake up I feel really good. I’m ready to throw again. … I feel great, because I feel like Anderson Espinoza in my past. I have more energy. More concentration. My mind feels good. I don’t think too much in my past I’m just focused on this program.”

Espinoza, who will turn 22 on March 9, could be on a mound, throwing less than full speed by April and could return to game action at Single-A Lake Elsinore (or possibly the Instructional League) in late summer.


Versatility

Four players on the Padres’ official spring training roster are listed as both outfielders and infielders.

Only one (Ivan Castillo) has played even one professional inning in the outfield.

“I am?” Seth Mejias-Brean said when made aware of the INF/OF designation. “Good.”

Owen Miller had essentially the same response.


“I’m fine with that,” he said. “Whatever gets my bat in the lineup.”

Manager Jayce Tingler also didn’t know the players (Jason Vosler is the fourth) were actually listed as they are. But the intention is for them to get some work in the outfield.

“There’s a lot of innings to be played,” Tingler said. “I believe in versatility and being able to stretch guys out and be able to do different things on the field, because situations come up. We’re going to practice those things.”

The Padres have in past years brought up players from minor league camp to fill positions in the latter innings of spring training games.


“I prefer if you’re in big-league camp to get those guys playing time,” said Tingler, in his first year as Padres manager. “… We can get them more major league at-bats.”

Rotation equation

The Padres don’t play their first exhibition until Saturday against the Seattle Mariners, so Tingler plausibly deflected questions about the composition of this season’s starting rotation.

“The way the year ended, the way (Chris) Paddack threw the ball, a healthy (Garrett) Richards and healthy (Dinelson) Lamet, those guys are in a very good positon,” Tingler said. “Obviously, the acquisition of (Zach) Davies. Then we’ve got a lot of guys that have the potential or ability to step in. Whether that’s in the five or the four or a long relief option. One thing I knew about this game is we’re going to need more than five. … I also think competition is a healthy thing.”

Joey Lucchesi and Cal Quantrill are the leading candidates to take the fifth spot. (Tingler said the plan is almost certainly to go with a five-man rotation, especially early in the season.)


The Padres plan to put Michel Baez and Adrian Morejon on a starter track. Both pitched out of the bullpen after making their major league debuts in July but are tentatively slated for the Triple-A rotation along with MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino, the organization’s top two pitching prospects.

Ronald Bolanos, who made three starts and two relief appearances for the Padres in ’19, is also seen as a starter in the minors. Non-roster invitees Jerad Eickhoff and Seth Frankoff will also likely get starts in the spring.