Padres: 3 replacement options for an underperforming Tommy Pham

Padres: Jake Cronenworth can move around the diamond, as well

Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Jake Cronenworth is out to prove that his showing last year was no fluke. Some questioned what he’d bring to the table this season given the pretty dramatic splits between the first and second half last year, but he’s answered that by coming out of the gate as one of the best hitters in all of baseball.

Through a league-leading 69 plate appearances, Cronenworth is hitting .339/.412/.458 with seven walks to just five strikeouts. He’s one of the best bat-to-ball guys in the league and whether it’s at second base or in the outfield, he’s one of the most important players on this roster.

Like I said, you can slot in Mateo or Profar in left with no problem. Or, if you’re looking to change things up, move Cronenworth to the outfield and go with one of those two at second. Tingler could also look to Kim, although the KBO import is off to a slow start in his first Major League season.

San Diego is one of the deepest teams in the league. With that in mind, you can’t keep trotting out Tommy Pham right now. Give him a spell, let him work his way back into the swing of things and move forward from there.