New San Diego Padres manager Jayce Tingler would be one week into his tenure if the regular season had started as scheduled.
The coronavirus scuttled that, but Tingler touched base with 97.3 The Fan Wednesday for an update on how he thinks the season will take shape when baseball resumes.
He qualified his musings as an “educated guess,” but suggested the path he’d choose for the Padres.
“I’d feel comfortable if we had three weeks to kind of ramp up and go, with probably five to six practices, maybe 14-15 spring training games, then get going,” he said.
How much time would the @Padres need to ramp back up when @MLB returns? @BenAndWoods asked Padres skipper Jayce Tingler earlier!
FULL INTERVIEW: https://t.co/3At8bmJO1d pic.twitter.com/CcWsABcF2D
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) April 1, 2020
The Padres hired Tingler in October after firing Andy Green late last season.
The Padres finished in last place in the National League West in 2019, but with a healthy Fernando Tatis Jr. and a resurgent year from Manny Machado, expectations are higher for the team.
Baseball officials postponed the start of the season last month due to widespread stay-at-home orders to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
MLB.com reported that Tingler told Padres Social Hour that the health and safety concerns “are bigger than baseball.” The games, however, can help restore a sense of normalcy, he argued, and players will be prepared.
“It’s going to be a responsibility when we do get that green light,” he said.
– Staff reports