It appears the Padres might get a game in Thursday (and possibly Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday too) in Pittsburgh.

From my hotel room. (My office.) Kevin Acee

But in between glancing out the window to check the weather out the dreary skies, I had some fun talking Travis Jankowski ’s nickname, Jankowski’s trade value, Jose Pirela’s trade value, where Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges might get their bats right, the future at third base, Eric Lauer and other pitching prospects.

Plus a few new twists on the usual questions about Luis Urias and Mike Dee.

And more, if you can believe it.

Please enjoy.

Near as I can tell, the last time it happened was 2007 in Cleveland due to snow.

The White Sox and Twins lost three of four to rain and snow this year.

Bedhead, not much different from regular hair. Kevin Acee

I’d go back and look at more, but this is just the kind of thing that could send me down an Internet rabbit trail, and then I look up and it’s 2 p.m., and I still wouldn’t have combed my hair.

Yes.

There was a little more to prove for him when he arrived, and there are other guys to see. So while I don’t know how long “long” might be, they wouldn’t stick with him for terribly long.

Regardless of how Lauer does, he won’t be the last pitching prospect to take the mound for the Padres this season.

Brett Kennedy (on the DL right now with an ankle injury that is not supposed to be serious) is almost certainly coming up at some point. And Logan Allen (2.98 ERA in eight starts at Double-A) is on track to be called up this year. Walker Lockett needs a look to determine whether he should remain on the 40-man roster.

Also, Luis Perdomo has shown signs he’s learning in Triple-A.

The convenient thing is Renfroe is about to begin a rehab assignment with the Chihuahuas, and Hedges likely will as well.

They can be there for up to 20 days.

Five outfielders. Play Hosmer on the right side of the infield and Galvis on the left. Force teams to stop thinking fly ball.

I figured it was appropriate to say something absurd, given the circumstances.

They are essentially starting three natural center fielders when they go with Franchy Cordero , Manuel Margot and Travis Jankowski. And when Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe come back, they will have four right fielders, provided Franmil Reyes is still up.

Here’s the thing: You can argue that all but Jankowski and maybe Renfroe need to play virtually every day if they’re up here. So even if you concede those two as platoon/bench players, you are too crowded.

They don’t have to worry about fitting Myers in for at least another three weeks. By then, they’ll have discovered more about Reyes and have a better idea if the new Jankowski is the real Jankowski.

I think the thought has been since spring that this is the position group that could have one or more pieces involved in a trade. The magnitude of the trade depends to a great extent on how well one or more of them is playing.

Matt Szczur, who would be a valuable bench guy on a contending team, is someone who they’ll move or simply DFA.

This is a fantastic story and pure Jankowski.

It’s because of Fred Rogers.

As a boy, Travis loved “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and his older siblings teased him relentlessly and called him “Freddy.”

He hated it, and his crying finally prompted his parents to make his siblings stop calling him Freddy. They complied, but they got everyone else (friends, teachers) to take up the cause. Eventually, Travis just had to embrace it.

I love that story.

Morgan Burkhart, who Travis credited right away with helping him get back to his approach (hitting the other way) and find confidence in who he is as a hitter.

It won’t be long. I’d imagine it won’t take more than a little hot streak to force the decision.

I’ve been told discussions about his service time (possible “Super 2” status) have been worked through and he will be here sooner than later.

The concern is that they want him to stay once he gets here, and there is a belief by some he needs more seasoning to help ensure the level of success that would make that happen. The Padres have shown they are not afraid to let a guy be pushed quickly, but this is when it gets real.

Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer are one thing. They could be nice pieces on a championship team. Luis Urias is supposed to be one of the pieces.

He’ll turn 21 in a little more than two weeks. I bet his birthday present is right around the corner.

As for Pirela …

He is absolutely trade bait. (Then, almost everyone is.)

As long as Pirela is performing, his lack of a position can actually be attractive in that regard. His defense in both left field and at second base has drastically improved. Part of that is how bad it was. But still, there have been several examples at second base recently that he can be a reliable option there if he’s hitting.

Problem is, he hits the ball on the ground all the time (60.3 percent of the time, fourth-most in the majors) and went 22 games (79 at-bats) without an extra base hit before hitting two doubles this past Friday.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is definitely on the fast track – just probably not as fast as many would like.

He will be in Triple-A soon if keeps hitting like he has so far in 73 May plate appearances (.344/.452/.705 with five homers).

And then, if he keeps hitting like that, they’ll likely move him to third base and bring him up to play next to Freddy Galvis this year.

The thinking is it is not Christian Villanueva. They decided before the season to find out for sure, and the returns so far suggest they’ll need to keep looking. He could prove otherwise, but that would require hitting better than .163 against righties (.091 this month).

Hudson Potts is playing third at Lake Elsinore and would seem to be on the track for San Antonio at some point in the summer. They also have not closed the door on Tatis at third – at least to start if they keep Galvis.

Yes, it would seem third base would be a candidate for the veteran free agent/trade they have said they’ll pull the trigger on if/when the time is right. However, that will depend on the development of the above factors.

If it’s this year’s No.1 pick, the kid would need to be Alex Bregman (second overall to Houston in 2015, debut the next year.)

My understanding is the top of the draft doesn’t have many absolute studs but a few who could be if they reach their ceiling. (Yes, that’s what can be said every year. But there is evidently a glut of obvious super standouts this year.)

You get two, because you sent several and I appreciate thoughtful questions.

It’s something they’re looking into.

The leaning at this point (or the last time I checked, which was last week) was that the oblique strain was probably partly due to playing with the extra weight.

I can’t begin to tell you what they’re going to about it – except this:

I believe the first thought is let Wil be Wil.

He might be the best all-around athlete on the team. (Franchy Cordero is probably the most gifted; Wil can do anything he’s asked in a deceptively, goofily easy way.)

They’ve messed with this guy on something almost every season they’ve had him.

Play center. Play first. Be a vocal leader. Put on 20 pounds of muscle. Play right – but maybe left, too.

He’s the kind of guy you can do that with. But then, when it comes to things like body change and too many mechanical adjustments, it can backfire. Myers is the player he is (when he’s on the field) because he is just playing. Some guys, you just let them play.

Yes.

Strange that you ask. I just broke down and started getting a California Pita a few weeks ago. It’s almost the only way I eat French fries now.

By the way, your tweets are wonderfully weird. Really enjoy following you.

With a runner-up to @Drunkflannery and honorable mention to all who sent the question in different languages, I applaud your creativity almost as much as I hope you run out of steam on this topic soon.

I suspect many of you who ask know as much as I do – or you think you know as much as I think I know.

And therein lies the problem. As a journalist, especially when it comes to a situation like this, I need more than off-the-record conversations and/or gossip.

Mike Dee was an employee for a private entity, and I have heard nothing that suggests what he did endangered the public.

As a private business, the Padres can do pretty much whatever they want within the law when it comes to employment issues.

As I wrote when I was a columnist and he was the team president, Dee was a control freak and a bit too ambitious on some matters and a sort of lone ranger. I heard almost nothing but negativity from employees about the work environment when he was there. I don’t hear that now. (Funny, since I wasn’t around every day then and am around every day now.)

Was there more that precipitated the parting of ways? I believe so. But based on conversations with numerous people, I am confident there was no damage done to the public.

Thus, I believe I serve you better by actually covering the team.

I was not the beat writer then, and I don’t think my time two years later is best spent investigating the firing of a man so many people wanted fired in the first place.

kevin.acee@sduniontribune.com