4 San Diego Padres players that need to step up for them to have a chance in 2023

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Heading into the trade deadline, there were questions as to whether or not San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller would be a buyer, seller, or stand pat. In the end, he made the right decision.

Preller bought and brought in veterans to add to a roster that has been playing some good baseball and is inching closer to the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. They still have four teams they need to jump to get into a spot, but there certainly is hope.

San Diego was dealt some bad news that Joe Musgrove has been shut down and one of the best Padres pitchers will not throw a baseball for at least three weeks. It is a harsh blow to a rotation just days after the trade deadline passed.

Now manager Bob Melvin and his team must pick up and march forward without their right-hander and not only does it put more pressure on the pitching staff, but also the offense which has been inconsistent at bad times in 2023.

San Diego Padres need these four players to step up the rest of 2023

If the Friars are going to continue their climb up the Wild Card standings, they are going to need some players to step both at the plate and in the field, as well as on the mound. They have some new and old options that need to step up and have some consistency if they are going to overcome their low playoff odds and get into October baseball.

Texas Rangers v San Diego Padres / Orlando Ramirez/GettyImages

Luis Campusano

Gary Sanchez has taken over the catching duties for the Padres since being signed in late May, but the struggles of Austin Nola and Luis Campusano being healthy has given the youngster an opportunity. The 24-year-old is going to get his chance over the final seven weeks and the second-round pick in the 2017 Draft has a chance to prove himself for the future.

It's a small sample size, yes, but he has shown in his short amount of time what this season could look like. He began a five-run third-inning uprising against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday with a two-run home run and finished 4-for-4 in the 13-7 loss. Sanchez will get a lot of the playing time, but when Campusano's name is called, the Georgia native needs to continue his development and timely production.

Xander Bogaerts

By Xander Bogaerts standards, he has not had the year the Padres were hoping they were getting from his time with the Boston Red Sox. His season numbers are down from what he did in Boston as he's slashing .267/.343/.394 while his home run and doubles are down also.

His defense has been good, but it's his bat that the Padres are going to need. He's been moved down in the lineup by Melvin to fifth and is slashing .333/.323/.367 the last week. He was a good late-season player in Boston and the Friars are going to need that version to show up in the final seven weeks, especially with the big contract he signed over the winter.

Colorado Rockies v San Diego Padres / Denis Poroy/GettyImages

Seth Lugo

This season, Seth Lugo made the move from the bullpen to the rotation and has been good. For the most part, he's been reliable this season, but with Musgrove, Lugo is part of the rotation that needs to pitch well every fifth day. His outing Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers is one that can't happen agains the rest of the season.

After his teammates staked him to a 5-0 lead through three innings, he gave it all back and then some with eight earned runs in the fourth, including a grand slam to Mookie Betts. Monday aside, Lugo has been a workhorse for the Padres this season and has been using all four of his pitches to keep hitters off balance. Musgrove and Michael Wacha missing is huge for San Diego, but Lugo stepping up every fifth day would go a long way for the Friars to reach the playoffs.

Rich Hill

One of the more curious trade deadline additions was Rich Hill. The veteran left-hander has been durable over the last couple of seasons, however, he's not going to blow you away and has to rely on his control and command. The Pittsburgh Pirates were quick to move him, now he's going to be a key piece for Melvin with Musgrove down.

His first start with the Friars was not a promising one as he lasted just three innings Sunday night in an 8-2 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed six runs, all in the first two innings, and two home runs. He did strike out four and walked just one, but he is going to need to be better moving forward. One thing that is not going to get him down is one bad start as he has shown over his career to bounce-back in his next start, but he will need to be better if San Diego is going to make a push on the teams ahead of them.

On paper, it does not look promising for the Padres, but Preller going all-in at the deadline sends the message to his team that the front office believes in them. They have battled adversity all season long and will over the final seven weeks. It's how they responded to it and control what they can control that will determine how they finish the season either in or out of a playoff berth.

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San Diego Padres need these four players to step up the rest of 2023

Luis Campusano

Xander Bogaerts

Seth Lugo

Rich Hill

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