PT TOMORROW: NL West—Padres finding a bright spot in the rotation

San Diego Padres

Despite ranking 24th in the majors with a staff ERA of 4.77, the Padres have to like what they’ve seen recently from rookie Eric Lauer (LHP, SD), the team’s #10 prospect heading into the season. Lauer struggled in his first 7 starts—posting a 7.67 ERA with 28/15 K/BB (1.9 Cmd) in his first 29.3 innings pitched—but has, since June 1, sported a 3.17 ERA with 39/17 K/BB (2.3 Cmd). His velocity, which was ~90 mph in his first 7 starts, has been sitting around 92 mph in his past few outings, and his recent stretch gives reason for optimism that he can be a valuable member of the rotation moving forward.

The team is also hoping to soon insert 27-year-old Jordan Lyles (RHP, SD) back into the mix. Sidelined since the end of...

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