Padres host Marlins with Ross on the mound

SAN DIEGO -- There are rumors that the San Diego Padres could be looking to trade right-handed starter Tyson Ross.

Ross makes his 11th start of the season Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins -- and right-hander Dan Straily -- at Petco Park.

The Padres are 7-3 this season when Ross starts a game. When anyone else starts, they are 15-30. And the Padres are 3-0 when Ross starts at Petco Park. When anyone else starts at Petco Park, the Padres are a dreadful 6-18.

The 31-year-old Ross is a free agent at the end of this season. He signed a minor league contract with the Padres last winter and made the 25-man roster from a non-roster spot. He could be looking for greener pastures if he continues his one-third marks -- 4-3 with a 3.13 ERA -- during the second two-thirds of the season.

Thus, the Padres might look to trade him, which would leave a huge void in the rotation. Even now, the Padres are hard-pressed to fill a five-man rotation.

Right-hander Dinelson Lamet is out for the season after Tommy John elbow replacement surgery. Rookie left-hander (Joey Lucchesi) is on the 10-day disabled list with a strained glute and rookie Eric Lauer is 1-3 with a 7.67 ERA after seven starts.

Right-hander Luis Perdomo would be in the rotation were he not on the disabled list at Triple-A El Paso with a second straight round of early-season shoulder inflammation.

Journeymen Clayton Richard (3-6, 4.97 ERA) and Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.83) are the second and third definites in the Padres' rotation. After that, Robbie Erlin, Bryan Mitchell and Lauer have all struggled.

Which puts a lot of pressure on Ross, Richard and Lyles during the next three nights against the Marlins, particularly on Tuesday when Miami is starting Straily.

Straily, 29, is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in five starts with Miami this season. But the Marlins have won all five of those starts -- giving Straily an even better success rate than Ross. Miami is 15-33 when Straily doesn't start.

After allowing four runs in his season debut, Straily has given up two or fewer runs in each of his four starts since then and posted a 2.05 ERA. Straily has held opposing hitters to a .204 batting average this season while yielding just 10 extra-base hits (including five homers) in 26 innings.

Straily has allowed only 19 hits. But he has also issued 17 walks with 19 strikeouts. He has a 1.38 WHIP, which is high mostly because of the walks.

Straily faced the Padres twice last season and had a 2.77 ERA despite not getting a decision in either outing. He held San Diego to four runs in 13 innings, allowing 10 hits and three walks with 19 strikeouts.

On April 22, 2017 against the Padres, Straily produced the 16th game in Marlins history of 10 or more strikeouts (14 in seven innings to be exact) without issuing a walk.

Ross has a 1-2 record with a 5.54 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Marlins. He has given up nine runs (eight earned), 14 hits and four walks with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings. The Marlins have a .275 batting average against Ross, who has a 1.355 WHIP against the Marlins.