PHOENIX -- Don't expect too many nerves from Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, a one-time Reds prospect, when he faces his former team this week.

When asked about the opportunity to play against the team that drafted him and traded him away, Alonso smiled.

"I'm just trying to get my hits, man," Alonso said.

Alonso has had plenty of opportunities in San Diego. He's hitting .257 with 18 doubles and 21 RBIs in 276 at-bats during his first 78 games. He's made 72 starts at first base.

"It's good for Yonder to get the Major League exposure often and regularly," manager Bud Black said. "He's a rookie. This guy has just over 300 Major League at-bats, not very many, so every at-bat is good for him. We are giving him an opportunity to see what he can do."

Alonso was traded to the Padres along with Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger for Mat Latos, Thursday's starter for the Reds.

"I'm excited. Yes, I am," Volquez said. "I spent four years there and I have a lot of friends there. I look forward to pitching against them. It's going to be fun."

Cashner placed on disabled list with lat strain

PHOENIX -- The Padres placed pitcher Andrew Cashner on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle Wednesday. The right-hander is scheduled for a MRI on Thursday and a timetable has not been set for his return to the mound.

Padres manager Bud Black said the club will re-evaluate Cashner in a week to 10 days, and Ross Ohlendorf is tentatively scheduled to start in Cashner's place Sunday against the Reds.

"It's too early to tell," Black said. "Best case, it heals and in two to three weeks he is throwing again. It's way too early to tell the length of time this is going to set him back."

Cashner left the game early against the D-backs on Tuesday after feeling pain while warming up for the bottom of the third. Overall, he has gone 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 45 strikeouts against 19 walks in 30 appearances for San Diego.

He was recalled from Double-A San Antonio on June 28.

"It's tough," Cashner said. "Yesterday, I feel like I had a good feel for my breaking ball. I threw a really good bullpen leading up to the game and I was locating the fastball better than I have. I felt like the pitches were crisp."

The Padres are familiar with this type of injury. Closer Huston Street and reliever Eric Stults have dealt with similar ailments this season and both missed several weeks of action. Stults, who is still on the disabled list, threw his second bullpen Wednesday.

"I feel better than I thought I would today," Cashner said. "I'm a little bit sore but I'm just going to take it one day at a time and see how quick it heals."

The Padres recalled right-hander Brad Brach from Triple-A Tucson to replace Cashner on the roster. Brach went 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27 relief outings in his first two stints with the Padres.

"I'm really happy to be back here and I just want to help the team win," Brach said. "We have been playing really well and I just want to do my part. Whenever Buddy gives me the ball I'm going to do my job and keep this going."

Black credits fundamentals for recent surge

PHOENIX -- The Padres entered Wednesday's series finale against the D-backs riding a four-game winning streak and winners in seven of their past 10 games. They are 6-3 through the first nine games of the 10-game road trip.

"Over the last month, we have played better fundamental baseball," manager Bud Black said. "It's been a good road trip. The lineup has produced and it's come from a collection of guys. Overall, we've pitched pretty well and played pretty good defense and I think that equates to more wins than losses."

Overall, the Padres are 15-15 in their past 30 games. They start a four-game series against the Reds in San Diego on Thursday.

"I think the guys are feeling it, as far as the confidence in how we are playing," Black said. "There is more of a continuity of the players."