Padres notes: A fresh Pierce Johnson a 'game-changer,' planning to plan

Pierce Johnson was injured for most of the season last year. He returned from the injured list and has been effective since his return. On Tuesday, he retired all three hitters he faced, including Mookie Betts. The game ended in a walk-off walk.   The Padres have asked for big middle-relief outs from Robert Suarez, Luis Garcúa and Steven Wilson. Nick Martinez has emerged as a go-to arm when trouble looms. It's one reason why Johnson went seven days between appearances early in his comeback from his elbow injury. Bob Melvin is looking to get him back in the role.

The Padres are planning to make plans for Thursday's game. Yu Darvish and Sean Manaea threw bullpens Tuesday. The Padres have not announced a starter for the series finale. Melvin wants to get players into shape before the postseason. The team is currently 4th in the standings. Baseball Prospectus has the Padres as a 98.9 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Jay Groome will start for Triple-A El Paso in the one-game playoff for the Pacific Coast League championship on Friday. Groom was acquired in a deal that sent 1B Eric Hosmer to the Boston Red Sox.