PHOENIX —
The Padres have a potential problem.
It’s a winning team problem.
It’s a concern because, with an inexperienced and workload-curtailed starting rotation, in order to continue winning they need their middle relief to be as good as it was last season when the team was losing.
They cannot keep turning to Craig Stammen and Kirby Yates. Stammen, who has seven holds and a 2-0 record, is on a 91-game pace with more than 94 innings pitched. Yates, who leads the majors with nine saves, is on track for 101 games and 101 innings.