Gavin

Sheets

It still seems pretty ridiculous that Sheets should be worth $4.5 million in arbitration, but he actually was a valuable player for the first time last season, hitting .252/.317/.429 in his first year with the Padres. That gave him a career line of .236/.301/.397 in 1,979 plate appearances. As things stand now, he figures to be the Padres’ primary DH against right-handed pitchers. It’d be nice if they could upgrade and turn him into more of a spare part, but it’s unclear if the budget will allow for that.

Merrill had been hitting sixth or seventh for the last few weeks, but he is now on a four-game hitting streak that has seen him go 7-for-18 with two home runs and four RBI, so the Padres are likely trying to take advantage of his hot bat. Gavin Sheets will move back to sixth in the order.

Fernando Tatis Jr. had the game-winning sac fly in the bottom of the 10th, but Sheets was the star tonight after getting the nod over Ryan O’Hearn against a left-hander in Nick Lodolo. Sheets, who excelled while Jackson Merrill was out in the second half of August, opened September 0-for-11, but he’s 5-for-8 with a homer the last two days. The Padres should stick with him while he’s hot, but it probably ought to be at Luis Arraez’s expense, rather than O’Hearn’s.

Sheets obliterated a 1-1 changeup from Tanner Gordon for a 451-foot (106.2 mph EV) solo shot in the fourth inning that extended the Padres’ lead to 4-1. He also reached on an infield single in the eighth inning but was left stranded there. He has done a nice job for the Padres this season, slashing .264/.325/.458 with a career-high 19 homers and 63 RBI in 467 plate appearances.

Arraez will get a rare night off with left-hander Kyle Freeland toeing the slab for the Rockies in this one. Ryan O’Hearn will start in his place at first base and bat second for the Padres while Gavin Sheets functions as the team’s designated hitter.

Merrill is back from a two-week absence due to a sprained ankle. It’ll be interesting to see what the Padres do with Gavin Sheets now, considering that he was barely playing before Merrill got hurt but has been the team’s best hitter since returning to the lineup. There’s a good argument to be made for taking Luis Arraez out of the lineup to keep Sheets in there, though it’d be a surprise if the Padres went that route. Instead, Ryan O’Hearn might lose some at-bats. The Padres aren’t shedding any light on the subject today, as Merrill isn’t in the starting lineup against the Orioles.

Sheets smacked a two-out double off of Zebby Matthews in the fourth inning and scored on an RBI knock off the bat of Jose Iglesias. He also started the seventh inning with a single and raced around to score on a two-run knock by Fernando Tatis Jr. With his three-hit night, Sheets is now hitting .265/.328/460 with 18 homers and 60 RBI in what has been a very solid season for the Padres.

Sheets, mostly a non-factor since the Padres got Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano at the deadline, has gotten to start two games in a row with Jackson Merrill hurt, and he came through with his first homers of the month in the second and third innings versus the Giants. He’s still probably not in line for much playing time when the Padres are healthy, but he’s hit a respectable .257/.320/.447 on the season and he’s obviously ready when needed.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 31-year-old outfielder. Laureano has hit .270/.325/.486 with a homer, eight RBI and a 9/3 K/BB ratio in his first 40 plate appearances with the Padres. Gavin Sheets will start in his place in left field and bat seventh for the Padres against Logan Webb and the Giants on Monday evening.

Sheets gave San Diego a commanding four-run lead with a third-inning blast — his 15th round-tripper of the season — off Mets starter Clay Holmes. The 29-year-old slugger appears to have benefitted from a change of scenery as he’s now tied his previous career-high mark in the power department with two months left in the year.