"As the Padres began to contemplate at least an immediate future without second baseman David Eckstein, Miguel Tejada's name rose to the top of the list of players the Padres might seek to acquire for the playoff drive.

Eckstein was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained right calf muscle, although Padres manager Bud Black said it was far too early to speculate how long Eckstein might really be out.

But he couldn't dodge the enormity of the loss.

"When we win, you can point to something Eckstein did during the game," Black said. "His leadership, his determination was something we took advantage of.

"Eck is like another coach on the field. And he is another sounding board for the players."

Said third baseman Chase Headley: "Eck is so much more than you see on a stats sheet. He brings inner confidence along with the ability to keep everyone focused as well as loose. He's kind of the glue that holds everything together."

How important is Eckstein?

Last year the second baseman was on the disabled list from July 6-28 with a strained right hamstring. While he was out, the Padres went 4-16. On the day he returned they started their 37-25 run to the finish.

"We struggled on our last road trip (2-4 to Washington and Colorado just before the All-Star break) when we didn't have Eck," said Adrian Gonzalez.

"We have to find a way to do it without him," Headley continued. "This is our chance to prove that we can win when we lose one of our key players. I want to play well while he's away so that when he comes back, it's all the better."

But the loss of the 35-year-old Eckstein — and the state of his body when he returns — could influence whom the Padres might seek to help them down the stretch."