Hand (1-2) got the win against the Diamondbacks on Friday, allowing one walk, no hits and bagging four strikeouts over 1.1 innings in San Diego's 4-1 victory.

EDGE Analysis

Hand had converted six straight save opportunities coming into this game and he added his first win of the season for good measure against Arizona in relief of a dominant outing from Tyson Ross. Hand got a loss and a blown save in his first appearance of the season, but he hasn't given up an earned run since and he now has a 1.59 ERA in 11.1 innings.

Hand pitched 1.1 innings and struck out each batter he faced to earn his sixth save of the season Saturday against the Giants.

EDGE Analysis

After a few odd outings to begin the season in which he compiled six unearned runs, Hand has been solid. Saturday's performance was the highlight to this point, as he needed only 19 pitches to strike out four Giants' batters and secure the victory. He is locked in as the Padres' closer and has 14 strikeouts in nine innings pitched, making him an attractive option for saves.

Hand recorded the final two outs in Friday's 5-1 win over the Giants to pick up his fifth save of the season.

EDGE Analysis

After Kazuhisa Makita allowed a couple of one-out hits in the top of the ninth inning, Hand came in and promptly got Joe Panik to ground into a double play to end the game. The Padres' closer has put his early-season hiccups firmly behind him, and now boasts a 2.35 ERA and 10:4 K:BB through 7.2 innings.

Hand got his second save in as many days against the Rockies on Tuesday, throwing a scoreless ninth inning and giving up one hit without a walk or strikeout to close out San Diego's 5-2 victory.

EDGE Analysis

Hand seems to have settled down after an erratic start to the year that saw him collect two losses and a blown save, with Tuesday's clean ninth inning against Colorado marking his third straight appearance in which he successfully procured a save. He's struck out five batters against one walk and allowed just one hit over that stretch, so if that's a sign his early-season struggles are indeed a thing of the past, Hand's grasp on the role in San Diego figures to remain secure.

Hand struck out the side in a perfect inning of work to earn his third save of the season Monday against the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

Hand was dominant in this appearance, pumping in nine of 15 pitches for strikes as he mowed down the side in order. It's already been an eventful season for the left-hander, who had alternated saves with losses over his previous four appearances. Despite some ups and downs, Hand has an ERA of 3.00 and a K/9 of 15 through his first six innings this season.

Hand got the save against the Astros on Friday, striking out two and walking one while giving up no runs in the ninth inning to preserve San Diego's 4-1 victory.

EDGE Analysis

It was a welcome bounce-back showing from the left-hander, who had two losses and a blown save to his name over four erratic innings coming into the contest. It's worth keeping an eye on whether any continued struggles would put his grasp on the role in jeopardy, but manager Andy Green has said that Hand is his man for the role after a 2017 season that saw him notch a 2.16 ERA and 21 saves in 79.1 innings. Either way, it was good to see Hand reward the confidence as he looks to regain that form.

Hand surrendered three runs (none earned) on a hit and three walks while recording both his outs via the strikeout in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

Hand was shaky in this one, walking three of the first five batters he faced. His defense didn't help him out either, which allowed all three of his runs to stay off his ledger. Still, that's now two rough outings through four appearances from the dominant closer. Manager Andy Green expressed confidence in the 28-year-old after the game, stating that, "he's a guy we believe in a lot and will continue to believe in a lot," according to Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Receiving that vote of confidence should ease the thoughts of those who own Hand for saves, but the southpaw will have to turn things around quickly in order to restore his status as one of the game's top closers.

Hand recorded a one-out save in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Rockies, striking out the lone batter he faced.

EDGE Analysis

Setup man Kazuhisa Makita was tabbed for the ninth inning with the Padres holding a five-run lead heading into the final frame, but the right-hander was unable to keep the Rockies at bay, allowing three of the first five hitters to reach base. Manager Andy Green then summoned Hand from the bullpen to end the threat, with the latter requiring only four pitches to put away pinch-hitter Pat Valaika. Hand blew his prior save opportunity March 30 against the Brewers in grand fashion, but one misstep won't loosen his hold on the closer's job much on the heels of a dominant 2017 campaign that netted him a three-year contract extension in January.

Hand gave up five runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out one over an inning in an 8-6 loss to the Brewers on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

It was a rough night for the usually dominant closer, who squandered a three-run lead for the first time in a Padres uniform. Hand gave up three singles and allowed a fourth baserunner via his own error before making a mistake in location with an 0-2 fastball that Ryan Braun hit over the fence. The saving grace here is that a pitcher's own error keeps earned runs from being counted against them, so his owners' ERAs didn't take as big of a hit as they could have. Hand has built up enough goodwill over the last two seasons to have a few outings like this over the course of the year, so his closer job is safe for now.

Hand gave up a lone run on one hit while striking out a pair in his spring training debut Monday against the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

Despite the minor blemish, Hand has a stranglehold on the Padres' closer role to open the season after posting a 2.16 ERA with 21 saves and a stellar 5.2 K/BB ratio last year. He handled the move from setup man to closer swimmingly after the team dealt Brandon Maurer away at the deadline, so there should be little doubt regarding whether or not Hand will be able to succeed in the role for a full season. The only apparent risk with the dominant southpaw is a scenario where the Padres struggle in the first half of the campaign and move Hand to a contender to be their left-handed setup man. That hypothetical situation is a long ways away from Opening Day, but it should still be considered when evaluating him during drafts this year. Barring a trade that removes him from a closing role, there is nothing in Hand's peripherals that suggests that he wouldn't perform like a top-10 closer this season.