Tommy Medica will start in left field for the Padres season opener against the Dodgers on Sunday night.

Here's how the rest of the Padres Opening Day lineup shakes out: Everth Cabrera SS, Chris Denofria RF, Chase Headley 3B, Jedd Gyorko 2B, Yonder Alonso 1B, Tommy Medica LF, Will Venable CF, Rene Rivera C, and Andrew Cashner P.

Tommy Medica started in left field for the first time on Wednesday against the Indians.

It's a promising development for his chances of making the team, as the slugger had been confined to first base previously. "It's spring training; it's a great opportunity to expose players to different positions," Medica said. "We're doing that with Tom getting him exposed to the outfield. We've talked about it as a staff and as an organization about increasing a player's versatility, increasing chances of playing time." Medica had a huge year on the farm last year, slashing .296/.370/.593 over 81 games. The 25-year-old is hoping to fill a bench void left by Cameron Maybin's shoulder injury.

The Padres are considering trying Tommy Medica in the outfield.

"We're exploring that possibility," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We'll see how that looks. We'll see. He's athletic, he runs well and has good hands. But you look at the breaks, the routes, things that come harder for a guy who hasn't played the outfield." The team will continue to use the first baseman at his native position during games, but Medica is working with bench coach and former outfielder Dave Roberts during morning drills. The 25-year-old could be an asset on the bench for a team trying to fill the void left by Cameron Maybin's shoulder injury.

Tommy Medica went 2-for-4 with a homer, walk and two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-2 blowout win over Arizona.

Medica had a huge year on the farm, slashing .296/.370/.593 in 81 games, and his breakthrough has included a decent cup of coffee with the big club. The 25-year-old rookie is slashing .241/.328/.426 with three homers and seven RBI over 15 games with the Padres.

Making his first start in the majors, Tommy Medica connected for his first hit and first home run in Wednesday's loss to the Phillies.

The longball came off of Cliff Lee, making it all the more impressive. Jedd Gyorko also had a solo shot off of Lee, but that's all the Padres were able to come up with. Medica should see a decent amount of playing time at first base down the stretch with Yonder Alonso on the shelf.

Tommy Medica will make his major league debut on Wednesday against the Phillies.

Batting sixth and manning first base, Medica and company will face Cliff Lee. Medica had a huge year on the farm, slashing .296/.370/.593 in 81 games, but it's doubtful that he'll accrue enough at-bats over the next few weeks to be worth the trouble of a waiver add in NL-only leagues.