25-year old switch-hitting Everth Cabrera is ripping the ball this year. He has played in 30 games in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 42 of 127 (.331 avg, .782 OPS) with 23 runs scored, 0 homers, 14 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Cabrera has played in 181 games in his first three years with the Padres and he is 141 of 597 (.236 avg, .647 OPS) with 82 runs scored, 3 homers, 53 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. Cabrera might get a shot to start at SS for the Padres at some point in 2012 if Jason Bartlett doesn’t start hitting the ball soon.

Veteran SS Jason Bartlett is off to a very rough start so far in 2012. He has played in 26 games for the Padres so far this year and he is 10 for 74 (.135 avg, .433 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 0 homers and 4 RBIs. He has walked 11 times this year, but he has also whiffed 24 times as his bat looks like it has a hole in it at times. Bartlett didn’t play that well last year in his first season in San Diego. He played in 139 games for the Padres last year and he was 136 of 554 (.245 avg, .615 OPS) with 61 runs scored, 2 homers, 40 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. If Bartlett doesn’t get it going soon, the Padres are going to have no choice but to make a change at SS.

When lefty starting pitcher Cory Luebke and closer Huston Street went down to injury, the Padres thought they were in deep trouble, but they are getting outstanding work from two unlikely sources. 37-year old righty Jeff Suppan has taken over for Luebke in the starting rotation and he has been solid so far. Suppan has started 2 games for the Padres so far this year and he is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. The Padres hope he can keep up the good work. 31-year old righty reliever Dale Thayer has 173 career saves in his 10 years in the minors, but he only had 1 save in the majors coming into this season. He has worked his way into the closer’s gig for the Padres and he’s looking good so far. Thayer has pitched in 6 games (0 starts) for the Padres so far this year and he is 0-0 with 2 saves, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP. Thayer has only given up 4 hits in his first 6 innings this year, without walking anyone and whiffing 5 batters. Suppan & Thayer have been godsends so far this year for the Padres, and they hope they can both keep up the good work.

The Padres have signed 26-year old righty reliever Daniel Stange to a minor league deal. Stange pitched in 3 games (0 starts) earlier this year in AAA-ball for the D-Backs and he was 0-0 with a 23.62 ERA and a 4.88 WHIP. He gave up 8 hits and walked 5 batters in only 2 2/3 innings in AAA-ball with the D-Backs. His only major league experience came back in 2010 with the D-Backs, when he pitched in 4 games (0 starts) in which he was 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP. He’s unlikely to help the Padres in 2012.

The Padres have signed 35-year old righty starter/reliever Kip Wells to a minor league deal. Wells has not pitched in the major leagues since the 2009 season with the Reds & Nationals. He has pitched in 289 games (212 starts) in his first 11 years in the majors and he is 67-99 with 2 saves, a 4.71 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. This was a low risk signing for the Padres, who have been lucky in the recent past with pitchers like Wells.