“I remember it vividly,” said Joe, 32, who signed a $1 million, one-year deal in San Diego. “I was in Scottsdale at the Mayo Clinic. During the exam, the doctor felt something abnormal. On the ultrasound, the tech really wasn’t supposed to, but he said ‘This looks like an abnormal mass.’ The blood tests came back with elevated tumor markers.

Cutting payroll seemed to be the San Diego Padres’ main focus this offseason. However, the recent signings of Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Kyle Hart, and Nick Piv

As with much of their roster, the Padres’ left field situation is much clearer now than it was last month. Jason Heyward and Connor Joe are on board -- and both have reported to camp ahead of Monday’s first full-squad workout.

Jackson Merrill finished second in the race for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, falling behind Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.  The San Di