Lucas Giolito dressed out in Padres pinstripes for the first time Wednesday as he took part in his first between-starts bullpen session under the watch of pitching coach Ruben Niebla.
The two, however, had already been under the hood quite a bit since the 31-year-old right-hander signed with the Padres in April.
Giolito threw a bullpen for Niebla at the team’s biomechanics lab at Point Loma Nazarene University. There were check-ins throughout his minor league tour through low Single-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A San Antonio ahead of Sunday’s debut in Seattle. The velocity in that win over the Mariners wasn’t where Giolito expects it to end up, but he and the Padres had already been discussing how to unlock more ticks on the radar gun.
“It’s been awesome,” Giolito said before Wednesday’s bullpen session at Petco Park. “As soon as I signed, I got with Ruben and we were able to do a bullpen in the lab and highlight a few things, and from there we have a really nice set of drills and work to be able to get everything locked in.”
Specifically, Giolito emphasized some adjustments to his work with a Core Velocity Belt that he’s used since 2019. He also reiterated that he’s a pitcher who works into his velocity as he gets into a season and a disjointed ramp-up on his own while waiting on a new employer — through spring training and into the season — did him no favors in the fastball department.
Giolito averaged 90.4 mph with his four-seamer while throwing five innings on Sunday, down from 93.3 mph last year.
“Usually in spring training, my velocity will be like in the low 90s and kind of trend it up as the season goes,” Giolito said. “To say that it was a little different this time around, because I had … a lack of, like, competitive reps. … I was just throwing live bullpens once a week, so a lot of the work was more mechanical-focused rather than compete-focused. Then, when I signed here, and I got to kind of have my little tour of the minor leagues, I was able to get more of those game reps and competition reps in.
“Which has now carried into my first start and then keep building from there.”
Gold in that glove
The Platinum Glove presented to Fernando Tatis Jr. before Wednesday’s game was the second of his career. Ty France also finally got his hands on his hardware — his first Gold Glove — after a long wait following Rawlings’ awards ceremony in November.
As an official Gold Glove winner, France has a gold patch on his glove. But the actual award in hand — quite the feat for a player ranked the worst defender via metrics in 2024 — makes it all that more real for the former 34th-rounder.
France was not in Wednesday’s lineup as Gavin Sheets got the start at first base and Miguel Andujar started at designated hitter. In a twist of irony, Tatis was in the lineup but at second base, which has become a regular spot for the two-time Platinum Glove-winning right fielder.
“Two great defensive players,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “I know Ty has worked really hard. Not a natural first baseman, and for him to have a Gold Glove is quite a career achievement for him. Fernando, obviously one of the best athletes in all of baseball, can play anywhere on the diamond. (We’re watching) him play a great second base right now. We’ve seen him make all the highlight reel plays out in right field, so both of those guys (are) deserving of all the accolades that they get defensively.”
Notable
The Padres have released INF Jose Miranda ahead of his June 1 opt-out. Miranda had five homers and a .790 OPS at Triple-A El Paso, but he had no clear path to playing time in San Diego with France, Andujar and Nick Castellanos — all right-handed-hitting corner-infield types, like Miranda — blocking him.