Last December's acquisitions of Myers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton -- along with Venable's disappointing 2014 season following his Padres Most Valuable Player campaign of '13 -- had dropped Venable to being the Padres' fourth outfielder.
But Venable -- a 32-year-old left-handed hitter -- returned to regular duty last Friday, when Myers was shifted from center field to first base when Alonso went on the 15-day disabled list with a bone bruise of his right scapula. And with Myers at least temporarily sidelined with a left wrist injury, Venable's place in center field became more prominent.