Padres’ Randy Vásquez eager to stay in rotation competition

Randy Vásquez’s future in the Padres’ starting rotation is not entirely up to him. But that’s precisely how he’s approaching his next start:

Make the Padres think long and hard about what to do with the 25-year-old Dominican.

“I love competing,” Vásquez said Sunday morning through interpreter Pedro Gutierrez. “It’s a healthy competition within the clubhouse. Obviously, I want to put myself in the best position available in order for the team to make those types of decisions.”

Vásquez put a good foot forward last weekend in Chicago, striking out six without walking a batter over 4⅓ innings of one-run ball. His future in the rotation will come down to more than what he does Monday against the Colorado Rockies.

Joe Musgrove played catch in right field before Sunday’s game, the latest in a series of baby steps he’s taking to as he looks to return from injured list after a minimum 15 days on the shelf. If all continues to go well, Musgrove will move to the front of a mound before a full-fledged bullpen and session ultimately perhaps a return to the rotation in about a week.

As for the other spot in the rotation that had fallen in limbo, Matt Waldron rebounded in a big way on Saturday, limiting the Dodgers to two runs in 5⅓ innings to lower his ERA to 5.49 in a collection of eight starts that split evenly between the good (1.66 ERA over 21⅓ innings) and not-so good (10.19 ERA over 17 ⅔ innings).

Vásquez is hoping to continue to add to the good side of his ledger on Monday against the Rockies after starting the competition in the least favorable position of all: At Triple-A El Paso in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

The Yankees, Vásquez said, do not have affiliates that play in such harsh environments, but he was adequately prepared as he was optioned to the Chihuahuas after the Seoul Series.

“Mostly they warned me about any single type of contact could turn into a homer,” Vásquez said. “That was part of it, but I’ve felt my pitches had good movement while I was there. Again, I just tried to focus on the mental side of it. Trying to take it one batter at a time.”

The warnings aside, Vásquez allowed three home runs and an 8.40 ERA in 15 Triple-A innings sprinkled between two stints as fill-ins for Yu Darvish and now Musgrove.

The one poor start in the majors was again in altitude. He allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings at Coors Field, although he’s not entirely absolved of giving up a three-run homer after an error in his Padres debut on April 20 (5 IP, 4 R, 1 ER).

Vásquez, however, was especially pleased with his last start as he piled up six strikeouts without walking a batter. He hopes it’s a springboard that keeps him in the thick of the conversation all season long, if not the immediate competition with Waldron for the fifth spot in the rotation.

“Mostly it’s with my wind-up,” Vásquez said of what most pleased him. “My mechanics were off a little bit in my first starts. That wasn’t in great rhythm. That last opportunity on the mound I executed my pitches better … and that allowed me to be successful.”