The warm, 80 degree weather in Peoria had the ball jumping off Padres shillelaghs Thursday afternoon against the Seattle Mariners. San Diego hung 17 runs on the board through the contests' first three innings, receiving home runs from eight different position players. Among the notable names to go yard in the 27-6 onslaught victory were center fielder Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Freddy Fermin, Miguel Andujar, and KBO newcomer Sung-Mun Song, who made his first start at shortstop this spring.
On the mound, Walker Buehler successfully completed three frames in his Padres debut. The right-hander struck out four batters while surrendering two earned runs. Perhaps the most encouraging news, however, was what Buehler shared after his first Cactus League start:
“About four weeks ago, my elbow just stopped hurting, and so that’s a new one for me,” Buehler said. “Things have kind of ticked up from there," he added.
The former Cy Young contender seems to be feeling as good as he's felt in quite awhile. Trying to earn the final spot in San Diego's starting rotation, Buehler took a big step in perhaps doing so on Thursday.
Walker Buehler reflects on his first Cactus League outing with the Padres, today’s pitch usage, and working with the team’s pitching coaches. pic.twitter.com/6r1ERlIIlZ
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 5, 2026
Musgrove back on the bump
Buehler wasn't the only Padres hurler who made strides this week. San Diego native Joe Musgrove returned to game action for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024. Facing Great Britain's WBC squad in an exhibition game, the tall right-hander touched 95 mph on his fastball while showing impressive tilt on his breaking pitches.
He picked up three strikeouts, including one of Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. In the end, Musgrove cited feeling healthy, which bodes well heading into the latter portion of spring camp.
Joe Musgrove shared his thoughts on his first outing of the spring after missing all of the 2025 season: pic.twitter.com/4WZGDGRxXZ
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 4, 2026
Roster trimming commences
The Padres began spring roster cuts on Thursday afternoon that included notable Minor League names such as righty reliever Francis Peña, first baseman Romeo Sanabria, and starting pitcher Miguel Mendez.
Mendez, who some consider a future piece of San Diego's Major League starting rotation, was reassigned to Double-A San Antonio. The hard-throwing right-hander was recently ranked as the organization's no. 3 prospect. He pitched to a 3.22 ERA last season with 118 strikeouts and a .209 BAA in 21 Minor League starts.
Per MLB.com's prospect profiles, Mendez's big league ETA is projected for this season. Depending on his numbers and the state of the Padres rotation later this year, expect to see his name in discussions for a call up to The Show.
