The Padres should get Andrew Cashner back from injury soon. When that happens, somebody is going to have to come out of the starting rotation.
Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy and Jesse Hahn aren't going anywhere (even though Kennedy will miss Monday's scheduled start in Atlanta with an oblique injury while Jason Lane is called up from El Paso to take the hill).
Despite Saturday night's setback, Odrisamer Despaigne has earned his keep.
So the odd man out might be the one who's thrown more innings for the team than anyone else the last two seasons, and the lone lefty in the group; Eric Stults.
Sunday afternoon against the Braves, Stults threw 5.0 hitless innings, allowing just one baserunner and facing the minimum 15 hitters. The problem is, he threw another inning where things just went haywire.
That inning was the 3rd, when Stults gave up six runs on six hits in a game the Braves won 8-3. It's the 13th loss of the season for Stults.
The Padres offense came on solo home runs from Yangervis Solarte (his first in a San Diego uniform) and Rene Rivera, and an RBI single by Tommy Medica.
The Padres can split the series on Monday behind Lane, who'll be making his first career MLB start on the mound. Lane played parts of six seasons, mostly with the Astros, as an outfielder before going back to the minors and reinventing himself as a left-handed pitcher.
