San Diego Padres Offense Needs Immediate Reinforcements

The offense of the San Diego Padres has flashed short spurts of dominance but overwhelmingly lacks consistency. Thankfully, Andy Green will have many more options to play with, very soon.

The San Diego Padres ended their 10-game road stretch losing three of their last four, against a well-balanced Atlanta Braves team. In those three losses, the Padres were held to three runs. In seven of their last 16 games, the Padres have scored two or fewer runs.

The problem is the one-dimensional nature of the offense. Hunter Renfroe is 11-for-47 in the month of June, slashing .234/.308/.404 with a strikeout rate of 33%. Franmil Reyes is 12-for-44 during the same period, hitting .273/.289/.455 and striking out in 40% of his at-bats. Christian Villaneuva has gone 4-for-32 and is hitting .125/.222/.125.

The two outfielders and Villaneuva have shown flashes of brilliance and tremendous power but have been very inconsistent at the plate and have routinely struggled against quality pitchers. They will probably warm the benches or be relegated to AAA when Wil Myers and Franchy Cordero return.

Travis Jankowski has also cooled off significantly. He is 3-for-25 in his last eight games, drawing only three walks. His average has declined from a healthy .306 to .276. If the struggles continue, Travis will see a reduction in playing time and might be forced to bat down in the order.

Raffy Lopez is hitting a paltry .172/.255/.269 and will most-definitely lose his spot when Austin Hedges returns. Lopez is also striking out in 40% of his at-bats.

San Diego Padres will hope to get back to full-strength this week.

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After an arduous 10-game road stretch, the Friars do not have a team with a winning record on their schedule until July 5th when they head to Arizona. The Padres play Oakland four times, San Francisco four times, and Pittsburgh and Texas three times, each. Another successful short run could dig the Padres out of last place in the NL West.

The services of Wil Myers, Austin Hedges, and Franchy Cordero return, very soon, however, will Myers feel any ill-effects of his oblique injury? Can Franchy Cordero pick up where he left off before his injury? What kind of hitter will Hedges be?

Currently rehabbing in the minors, Franchy Cordero is 0-for-10 with three walks and 10 strikeouts.  Wil Myers 3-for-12 with two runs driven in and Austin Hedges is 6-for-16 with a home run between Lake Elsinore and El Paso.

Next: Fathers Day Woes

The pitching staff has pitched well lately, giving up more than four runs just three times over their last 10 games. It’s now time for the offense to step up and show some spark.