Padres Get Fantastic Bob Melvin News

The San Diego Padres have been playing without manager Bob Melvin since May 11 as he continues to work his way back after undergoing prostate surgery. The good news is that he is set to rejoin the team in the dugout when a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants kicks off on Friday.

San Diego Padres News

Melvin missed the team's last two full road trips and nine games overall as bench coach Ryan Christenson took over in his absence. The Padres posted a 6-3 record during that span and now have a firm grasp on the National League's first Wild Card spot with a 24-14 record on the year.

It's worth noting that Melvin was still able to provide his input from home and played a role in aligning the starting rotation. Having him back in the dugout makes a huge difference, though. The 60-year-old leader is the one tasked with making sure the team stays calm and prepared for every matchup.

San Diego made the decision to hire Melvin away from the Oakland Athletics this past offseason and it has certainly worked out so far. The Padres own the 11th-best run differential in baseball (+18) and have their eyes set on bettering that number when star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. makes his return.

For now, the Padres will look to create some space between them and the Giants in the NL West with a few victories this weekend. San Diego currently has odds set at +350 to take home the divisional crown and odds set at +1800 to win the World Series, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.