The Padres auditioned a starting pitcher on Saturday and plan to run a few more arms currently in the minor leagues through the rotation in the season’s final two months.

Sunday, a promising relief pitcher will get his shot, as the team will recall Trey Wingenter from Triple-A. It will be the 24-year-old right-hander’s first time in the majors.

The corresponding move is not known at this time. The Padres have an available spot on the 40-man roster, as they did not add anyone besides Francisco Mejia when they acquired the catching prospect for Brad Hand and Adam Cimber last month.

Wingenter, with a fastball consistently in the high-90s and a developing slider that got him an invite to big-league camp in spring training, has struck out 53 batters in 44 1/3 innings for Triple-A El Paso. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has a 3.45 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.


Extra, extra

The Padres are taking advantage of an off-day Monday to give Clayton Richard two extra days between starts. With his last outing having been Tuesday, his regular turn would have been Sunday.

“Toward the end of the season,” Richard said, “it’s good to have an extra 48 hours you usually don’t get.”

Richard has thrown 137 innings in his 23 starts this season, and he has tailed off recently as his typical precision has failed him.

After an eight-start stretch in which he had a 3.03 ERA and averaged .90 walks and hits per inning pitched, Richard has a 7.05 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in his past seven starts. He has not made it past the sixth inning in any of his past six starts after doing so seven times in his previous nine starts.


The 34-year-old Richard, whose 32 starts last season tied Jhoulys Chacin for the team lead, is still on track to make 10 more starts. At his current pace of almost 6 1/3 innings per start, he would surpass his team-leading total of 197 1/3 innings last season.

Notable

Joey Lucchesi, who essentially swapped starting days with Walker Lockett after coming down with a stomach bug on Friday, was at Wrigley Field on Saturday morning to run and stretch before returning to the hotel – both to rest and in case what he had was contagious.

Hunter Renfroe’s sixth-inning double was his 25 th extra-base hit this season – among 49 total hits. Renfroes’ home runs are down this season (eight in 210 at-bats versus 26 in 445 at-bats last season), but he has hit 16 doubles. His slugging percentage is .433, 34 points off last year’s pace.

extra-base hit this season – among 49 total hits. Renfroes’ home runs are down this season (eight in 210 at-bats versus 26 in 445 at-bats last season), but he has hit 16 doubles. His slugging percentage is .433, 34 points off last year’s pace. A hitless Friday stopped Eric Hosmer’s hitting streak after nine games, but a walk Friday and single on Saturday has his on-base streak at 11 games.

The Padres wasted their challenge in Friday’s second inning on a pitch they thought hit Christian Villanueva. Replay revealed it did not. The ball found him Saturday. Villanueva was drilled in the arm his first time up and had ball graze his shirt in his second plate appearance.

Austin Hedges’ solo home run in the fourth inning was his second in a span of five at-bats and fourth in his past eight games. He hit four homers in his first 43 games.

Staff writer Jeff Sanders contributed to this report.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com