Strahm has impressed the Padres' brass in his bullpen sessions early on during spring training, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Shipped to San Diego last July in a deal that sent three pitchers to the Royals, Strahm is still awaiting his Padres debut after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon prior to the deal. As a 6-foot-3 left-hander with a fastball that sits around the mid-90s and a plus curveball, Strahm possesses perhaps the most intriguing skills among the Padres pitchers competing for back-end rotation spots. He'll probably need to turn in a few productive outings in the Cactus League to secure a starting job, but if relegated to the bullpen to begin the year, Strahm could quickly settle into a key setup role.