Padres notes: Trent Grisham bounces back; Fernando Tatis Jr. on odd schedule; good news on Adrian Morejon

A good slump in the middle of spring is just what Trent Grisham needed.

“There’s been days that it hasn’t been the same,” Grisham said. “That was expected, and that’s what I wanted to know — how can I come back from that? So I feel like so far it’s been really good.”

He spoke after a 2-for-3 game Thursday in which he homered and walked. His single on the first pitch of the game stopped a hitless streak at 14 at-bats.

Pulling out of a spiral was something Grisham rarely managed in 2022.

Grisham began this spring 5-for-14 and was, perhaps most notably, attacking pitches early in counts. Even his strikeouts were less docile than so many in 2022, when he struck out looking more (57 times) than any other player in the major leagues.

While noting how meaningless spring statistics are, Grisham spoke during that early hot streak about his renewed focus on relying on his strengths rather than falling into out-thinking himself as he often did last season. He is annually among the most disciplined batters in the majors and did hit 17 home runs in ’22, but he sank to a .184 batting average (worst among qualifying hitters) and .284 on-base percentage (eighth lowest among qualifying hitters) by slipping from disciplined to passive in so many plate appearances.

His self-assuredness at the plate seems to have returned, as has the smooth swing.

“Anytime you’re more aggressive, you’re gonna get more aggressive swings,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I think at times last year, he was maybe a little too passive. Part of his game is walking and getting on base, but he’s got the power to hit some home runs too. So trying to find a middle ground with that.”

Grisham may have found help in an unexpected place, too.

The guy who took as long as anyone on the Padres getting set in the batter’s box before and during at-bats is digging the pitch clock.

“I’m notoriously slow, and everybody knows that,” he said. “So at first, I was really worried about it. But getting into it, I like it now. It kind of just keeps you locked in on a pitch-to-pitch basis. Makes the games quicker. I think everybody’s a fan of that.”

Two for Tatis, but no third

Fernando Tatis Jr. started a second straight game in right field on Friday, the first time he has done so this spring. He previously played two straight games but served as a designated hitter in the second of those.

He will not start Saturday’s game against the Brewers, meaning he won’t be in the same lineup as most of the team’s other regulars.

“It would have looked pretty good,” Melvin said of a lineup that will include Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado and Juan Soto. “It’s going to look good regardless, but it would have looked very good.”

Tatis, who did not play last season and had surgeries on his shoulder (September) and wrist (October), was cleared to play his first spring training game Feb. 28. The Padres’ strict adherence to their prescribed plan has put him on essentially something of an odd schedule where he has traveled for road game far more than any other veteran and played with the other members of the team’s “Big Four” only once.

“He hasn’t had the greatest schedule in the world with some of the road games he’s had to play,” Melvin said. “But he hasn’t complained about it. He’s always inspired when he’s out there playing. It’s too bad that the schedule didn’t line up with the game tomorrow.”

Morejón news is good

The Padres received positive news on left-hander Adrian Morejón, as MRI results on his left elbow did not reveal a tear or anything worse than inflammation.

Morejón departed Sunday’s outing against the A’s, complaining of pain behind his elbow.

“It’s gonna be all about when he’s asymptomatic,” Melvin said. “So whether it’s a few days or whatever, we’re not sure about that yet.”

Morejón is ostensibly competing for a long relief role, though he had struggled mightily in his past two outings. His making the team out of camp, which ends March 27, will be even more difficult now.

Groome stays on track

It has seemed for at least a week that left-hander Jay Groome is at or near the head of the pack vying seeing to begin the season as the sixth starter or a long reliever.

His four scoreless innings in a “B” game Thursday did nothing to damage that standing.

“We will keep looking at him,” Melvin said. “I think his next game is a big-league game again, so he’s earning his stripes. Put it that way.”