A cautious minor-league decision suggests this Padres roster move is still far off

The San Diego Padres, like most of the rest of the NL West, are off to a middling start, owning a 6-6 record heading into a four-game weekend set with the Colorado Rockies.

As feared, the lineup deserves a lion's share of the blame for the losses. Save for offseason additions Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos, the only reliable offensive presence thus far has been do-it-all third baseman Manny Machado. The rest of the Friars' regulars are struggling, including a strikeout-induced slump from Fernando Tatis Jr.

As such, reinforcements will be welcome whenever they arrive. In terms of players already on the roster, Sung-mun Song is the obvious choice, having been out since the start of March with an oblique injury.

However, despite their need for firepower, the Padres aren't going to rush the Korean star back into action, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "Infielder Sung-Mun Song is eligible to return for the start of the series in Pittsburgh on Monday, but indications are that he will remain in Triple-A for a while to get more at-bats."

Those eagerly anticipating his MLB debut will, unfortunately, have to wait a little while longer it seems.

Padres making right choice to slow-play Sung-mun Song's injury and MLB Debut

Song has been playing on a near-everyday basis in Triple-A El Paso, treating his stint there like an abbreviated spring training and rehab assignment. His results have been mixed thus far -- through 10 games, he's hitting .278/.350/.306 (72 wRC+) -- but the most important thing is that his oblique responds well to extended playing time.

The Padres have given no firm timeline on his debut in San Diego, instead opting to let Song dictate that with his play. One area of concern at the moment is his 32.5% strikeout rate, a massive jump over where he settled in most of his KBO seasons. His delayed start may have something to do with that, given that he's had limited opportunities to get his timing right this season, but it's also true that foreign players tend to experience a big jump in punchouts in their first taste of stateside ball (due to the increased velocity and spin rates).

Song also hasn't been slugging much in El Paso (.028 ISO), but that's more attributable to his oblique injury; until he's fully healthy, he won't be able to generate the same force and torque in his swing.

Despite the struggles of Ty France (-29 wRC+) and Bryce Johnson (42 wRC+) early on, the Padres are doing the right thing by delaying Song's MLB debut. He's already dealing with the logistics of learning a new position and the expectations of being a marquee free-agent signing. It's best to let him get healthy before putting him under the spotlight.