Padres GM Byrnes talks about recent injuries

Mighty 1090: GM Josh Byrnes Interview with Lee Hamilton and J.D. Hayworth (MP3)

• When asked about Rick Porcello, Byrnes says he can't talk about other team's players. He admits that they have looked for starting pitchers in the off-season that they viewed as an upgrade or had long term value. He says that the Padres currently have 8 or 9 starting pitchers that are ready to go and have all pitched well for the most part. They aren't just standing by, "if there is someone out there we can upgrade we'll try and get them".
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"That's a tough blow." -Byrnes on Kelly's upcoming TJ surgery
• Casey Kelly is going to have Tommy John surgery the first week of April. "That's a tough blow, just because it flared up last April, we rehabbed him and he finished the year pitching. So in some ways it was a lost year plus the year of Tommy John."
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• Byrnes says of Carlos Quentin's on going knee injuries, "We are a little concerned". He hasn't done the things he needs to do be in regular season mode, like getting at bats or running the bases. "We sort of view the next few days as critical to give us an indication if he'll be ready to go."
• Freddy Garcia can still pitch. His secondary pitches are still very good. They're still trying to see where he fits in the team's pecking order.
• Tim Stauffer "looks like the old Stauff". They still question whether he can go out and start like he did in 2011 or if he's better suited being a reliever at this point.
• Byrnes feels the team is lucky that Chase Headley has a thumb fracture and not ligament damage. They'll use a bone stimulator on his thumb and rehab him. Byrnes hopes that it will only be a 5 week injury and he'll be back on the field.
  More: Chase Headley has broken thumb VIDEO: Headley injures thumb
• Byrnes can't give an update on prospect Donovan Tate. He's dealing with a personal issue and hasn't reported to minor league camp. "His career hasn't gone as people had hoped." "I can't really go into much detail as to why he's not reporting."
• Logan Forsythe has been dealing with plantar fasciitis. If it doesn't clear up then Jedd Gyorko will flip between 2B and 3B. If it's a RHP then Jedd Gyorko will be 3B and Alexi Amarista will be at 2B. If it's a LHP then Cody Ransom could play 3B and Jedd Gyorko could play 2B.
• When asked who impresses him most on the farm, Byrnes says Matt Wisler gets the most attention for a guy who wasn't in Major League Camp.
• Jonathan Galvez has been a little bit of a surprise. Though he has always been able to hit. They are looking for the right place for him to play defensively. He's big and strong and might have outgrown 2B.
• The toughest cuts were going to be position players but injuries have made the decisions for them. On the pitching side they are going to have to cut some guys that have had good Springs and probably deserve to make the team. Their strength is their depth, but it might not totally solve their starting pitching.