Padres' Bryan Mitchell: Rotation spot secure

Padres manager Andy Green said prior to spring training that Mitchell has a spot in the rotation locked up, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

When the Padres acquired Mitchell from the Yankees in December, it was generally expected that the right-hander would have the inside track for a starting gig, but it's somewhat surprising that a pitcher with a career 4.94 ERA and 5.8 K/9 rate who spent most of 2017 at Triple-A won't even have to compete for a rotation spot. That speaks to the confidence the front office and coaching staff has in Mitchell, whose strong track record in the minors gives the Padres reason to think he's capable of more while trading Yankee Stadium for Petco Park. In 14 appearances (13 starts) with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, MItchell sported a stellar 20.4 K-BB% and 55.4 percent groundball rate, numbers supported by a three-pitch repertoire that includes a mid-90s fastball and an effective curveball and cutter.