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Padres notes: Hosmer due back; catchers due to hit; Patiño due to start?

Padres Eric Hosmer stands on second base after his second 3-run double on opening day against the Diamondbacks.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Eric Hosmer almost ready to come off IL; Luis Patiño seems lined up to start against Dodgers next week

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The Padres expect to get back one of their hottest hitters Saturday.

First baseman Eric Hosmer played an intrasquad game Friday at USD, and provided he responds as he has the past several days will be activated off the injured list before the middle game of the series against the Diamondbacks.

“All the reports have come back from the trainers that he feels good, so I think there is a very good chance he is (activated),” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said.

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The gastritis symptoms that put Hosmer on the injured list and kept him out for nine games have abated for longer than they ever did during the first week of the season. During that time, Hosmer played in every other game while fighting to keep food down.

He was 5-for-10 with two doubles and a home run in three games.

Rookie Jake Cronenworth made his fifth straight start at first base Friday. It is believed he will move to second base when Hosmer returns. Cronenworth could also spell Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop or Manny Machado at third.

“The way Jake has played and his versatility, there is a lot of options for him,” Tingler said. “(If) he continues to play great defense and have very, very good at-bats, that’s going to be hard to take him out of the lineup, that’s for sure.”

Patiño in place?

It seems having Luis Patiño pitch in relief Wednesday against the Dodgers may have served the purpose of allowing the right-hander to put a toe in the blue water before diving in next week at Dodger Stadium.

Patiño seems the likely candidate to take Joey Lucchesi’s spot in the rotation Monday or Tuesday in Los Angeles.

“It could, potentially,” Tingler said when asked if Lucchesi being optioned on Thursday created an opportunity for Patiño.

Tingler said it hasn’t been decided what the Padres will do after the weekend, when Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet start the final two games against Arizona. Garrett Richards lines up to pitch Monday on four days’ rest, but the Padres may choose to give him an extra day.

The thinking by some within the organization and from others around baseball is there is little reason not to have Patiño, the Padres’ No. 2 pitching prospect, starting.

Another sign Patiño will take the starting spot is the importance of Cal Quantrill in the bullpen. His two appearances have been in long relief after coming in for Lucchesi. But Tingler talked about a potentially expanded role.

“I think we’re going to continue to use Cal in different scenarios where we haven’t used him much,” Tingler said. “Is it short bursts? Cal is going to stay flexible. He potentially could get bursts of some right-handed hitters out for us. At the same time, he can save our bacon, as well, if we need four, five or six innings. The versatility he has is going to be valuable. The role could change daily.”

Catching up

One way to look at the situation is that Padres catchers have four hits in their past 16 at-bats. The other is to note Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejía are a combined 4-for-41 this season.

Tingler said the plan remains to take it a day at a time when deciding which one starts.

“If they (both) continue to play good defense, we’re going to ride some hotter hands,” Tingler said. “We’re looking for both guys to step it up offensively, that’s no secret.“

The sample size and returns within that finite period have evidently not been enough to determine which hand is hot. Hedges is 2-for-20, Mejía 2-for-21.

Despite Hedges going a combined 2-for-5 in starts Monday and Wednesday, Mejía was in Friday’s starting lineup.

After having his own 2-for-5 two-game burst, Mejía is 0-for-6 in his past three games.

“We need Mejía to loosen up and have some better at-bats and get more barrel to ball and be a little more of an offensive threat than he’s been,” Tingler said. “We’ve seen him do it in the past.”

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