Steve Drumwright

It is official: Matt Waldron is back. As has been expected since Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta went on the injured list Tuesday, Waldron was activated from the 15-day injured list in order to start Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob, who came up from Triple-A when Pivetta went on the IL, was sent back to El Paso. Waldron had been a candidate to make the Friars' rotation out of spring training, but that was interrupted when he required hemorrhoid surgery on Feb. 24. He was back pitching a couple weeks later, but with the additions of right-handed starters Walker Buehler and German Marquez, the Padres could slow play Waldron's return by putting him on the IL to start the season. Waldron has been on a rehab assignment at El Paso since the Triple-A season began and has performed very well. He made three starts for the Chihuahuas, tossing 12 scoreless innings, giving up seven hits and a walk against 12 strikeouts. Waldron's stay on the roster will depend on how well he performs as he is out of minor-league options. Jacob appeared in one of the three games he was active for, throwing two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 7-6 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners. View full rumor

The success of Ty France has left no room for Sung-Mun Song on the San Diego Padres' roster. As such, with Song's rehab assignment having expired, the infielder from South Korea was activated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A El Paso. Song had reinjured his oblique in spring training following an offseason incident in mid-January. That landed him on the injured list to begin the season. He ramped up at El Paso, playing second base, third base and shortstop. In 16 games on the rehab assignment, which began March 27, Song posted a .276/.364/.310 slash line with no home runs and 10 RBIs. He was signed to a four-year, $15 million contract in December following nine seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization and looked at as the primary infield backup going into spring training. Song opened eyes the last two years with slash lines of .340/.409/.518 in 2024 and .315/.387/.530 in 2025. He combined for 45 homers and 46 stolen bases in those two seasons. France, the former San Diego State star, earned the last bench spot with his strong spring, then has continued that into the regular season. France, who started his career with the Padres in 2019, is slashing .273/.333/.455 with one homer and one RBI while playing in eight of the Friars' 18 games. The reigning AL Gold Glove first baseman is somewhat limited positionally, though, which is a big reason why right fielder and former shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. played second base in back-to-back games over the weekend. France can play second or third, but is not very strong defensively there. View full rumor

The San Diego Padres could have a new owner as soon as next week. According to a report Thursday by Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Seidler family is nearing a decision among a group of four suitors. The sale is expected to be for at least $3.5 million, which would eclipse the previous record for an MLB team of $2.42 million by Steve Cohen for the New York Mets in 2020. The four bidders are two owners of English Premier League men's soccer teams, Chelsea's Jose A. Feliciano and Everton's Dan Friedkin, and two NBA owners, Tom Gores of the Detroit Pistons and Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors and WNBA's Golden State Valkyries. The Athletic reported that each submitted final bids this week. The Padres were recently valued at $3.1 billion by Forbes, up from $1.9 billion a year ago. Peter Seidler, whose death in November 2024 set off this process, and Ron Fowler bought the Padres in 2012 for $800 million. View full rumor

In discussing his current status following a spring training setback in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, San Diego Padres right-handed starter Joe Musgrove had this to say: "[I don't anticipate having to] build up all the way to six (innings) and 100 (pitches) before I’m back, but they want to see me be good and like physically feeling like I’m recovering." Musgrove said that to the San Diego Union-Tribune a couple weekends ago as the team was in Pittsburgh. This was more than a month following his lone appearance in a game during spring training; he has yet to throw off a mound since. At this point, it feels like a return in June is the most optimistic scenario. When spring training began, Musgrove felt it was possible, even likely that he could be ready to make the Opening Day roster. Whether that was realistic is another thing. As with all pitchers, particularly starting pitchers, that would include a gradual ramp-up of his pitch total in each outing. That is without any further delays in his recovery in returning to the Padres' rotation. The buildup quote becomes more curious when you consider how the Padres handled Musgrove's only game appearance thus far. That came March 4 when the Padres faced Great Britain, a World Baseball Classic team, in an exhibition. Remember, this was his first game since having Tommy John surgery Oct. 11, 2024. It typically takes about 12-15 months to recover, sometimes longer. So, Musgrove was pretty much on schedule to resume a regular buildup. Against Great Britain, Musgrove threw 60 pitches, pitching into the third inning (with a re-entry after a lengthy first inning). No one really questioned that number of pitches at the time, at least not in the recaps from MLB.com and the Union-Tribune. That well may have been the plan going in. However, that number of pitches in not just a spring debut, but a first game back from Tommy John surgery felt reckless. No other Padres starter had thrown that many pitches in a spring training game to that point. The day before Musgrove's outing, right-hander Nick Pivetta threw 43 in his second start. A day after, right-hander Walker Buehler tossed 47 pitches in his first outing. The first non-Musgrove Friars starter to throw 60 pitches in an exhibition game was right-hander Michael King, who had 73 in his start three days after Musgrove's game. That was King's third outing. When it came time for Musgrove's second start, he wasn't ready to take the mound. The Padres said they were letting the situation play out, not an unexpected response. Musgrove's response felt more cryptic, especially knowing what we know now. "Right now, I’m just kind of day to day until I feel like I’m ready to take the mound. And when I tell them I’m good, we’ll be ready to go," Musgrove said. That was a little more than two weeks before Opening Day, so there was no real shot at avoiding the injured list to begin the season. But it is worth looking at whether the Padres put too much on Musgrove's plate for that one game. There was surely a conversation involving Musgrove, the medical staff and the coaching staff (manager Craig Stammen and pitching coach Ruben Niebla), as well as A.J. Preller regarding how long Musgrove would be allowed to pitch that first game. However, 60 is more of a pitch total for a second or more likely third spring training start. Not the first coming back from Tommy John surgery in a game that doesn't matter other than to get back on the mound and see how you do and feel. And Musgrove did just fine. His velocity was right where it was before the surgery and he said he liked the shape of his pitches. For the other Padres starters, their pitch counts in their spring debuts were much less. Pivetta had 38 pitches, King 37, right-hander Randy Vasquez 31, right-hander German Marquez 37, right-hander Matt Waldron 24, left-hander JP Sears 30 and Buehler's 47 topping everyone else. Pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery or a UCL internal brace repair also generally includes a slow ramp-up in the pitch count. Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 6, 2023, which was a similar date to Musgrove's procedure (Oct. 11, 2024). Now, not all recoveries are the same. Alcantara was ready to go at the beginning of spring training in 2025, when he was 29 years old. He had the following pitch counts in his five exhibition starts: 17, 30, 45, 57 and 50, coming close to 60 once but not going over. Alcantara then threw 91 pitches in his first regular-season start. Another example under different circumstances is Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who was coming back from his second elbow reconstruction. Due to his two-way status, Ohtani didn't have the luxury of an in-season rehab assignment. His buildup came in regular-season games and the Dodgers had more of an innings limit for each of his 14 starts before the postseason. In his first five starts, his pitch count ranged from 18 to 38, the last one his first outing of three innings. The 31-year-old's next three starts were 46, 56 and 53 pitches before moving to four innings and hitting 54. It wasn't until his ninth start that Ohtani surpassed 60 pitches, jumping up to 80 in 4⅓ innings, his longest outing yet. Musgrove is 33, no longer young in baseball years but also not truly old by that same standard. Players always want to rush back to be part of the team, to be part of the action and contribute. That is where the medical staff and coaches generally come in and tell a player they need to slow down. We don't know what those conversations were, so we can't point to any single source for why Musgrove was allowed to throw 60 pitches in his first outing in 17 months. Musgrove is competitive and his adrenaline certainly had to be pumping for that otherwise meaningless exhibition game. Maybe the Padres told him he had six outs to get vs. Great Britain. That is what he got. But there has been a price to pay for that decision. No one knows whether the same situation—a setback in his recovery of at least two months, maybe more—would have arisen had he thrown only half of those pitches. After all, 15 pitches is about average per inning for a pitcher, meaning 30 would have been a good ballpark for two innings. But when your franchise pitcher, the one who authored the first no-hitter in team history, is coming back from a major injury, you want to make sure to protect your investment. In this case, that wasn't done. View full article

Jagger Haynes struck out five over five innings in San Antonio's 7-2 loss at Midland. Clay Dungan homered and drove in two as El Paso fell to Round Rock 6-4. Kavares Tears belted a two-run home run in the seventh for Fort Wayne, which dropped a 13-4 decision to Lake County. Winyer Chourio spun three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in Lake Elsinore's 5-4 11-inning defeat at Stockton. Padres Transactions San Diego Padres recalled RHP Alek Jacob from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Antonio Missions activated OF Albert Fabian. San Antonio Missions transferred RHP Manuel Castro to the Development List. 1B Leandro Cedeño assigned to San Antonio Missions from ACL Padres. TWP Tucker Musgrove assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from ACL Padres. Lake Elsinore Storm placed C Ty Harvey on the 7-day injured list retroactive to April 13, 2026. C Yoiber Ocopio assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. Bowen, Dungan Homer, But El Paso Falls To Round Rock 6-4 The El Paso Chihuhuas built a 4-1 lead through three innings before Round Rock came back to win 6-4 on Tuesday. Clay Dungan was El Paso's offensive standout, going 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in the second inning to push the lead to 3-1. Jase Bowen had opened the scoring with a solo home run on the first pitch of the game for his team-leading fourth homer, and Nate Mondou added a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 4-1. Round Rock answered in the fifth, tying the game at 4-4. The Chihuahuas' bullpen was tested throughout, with no single pitcher working more than two innings. Evan Fitterer started and worked two innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Justin Yeager was charged with the loss after allowing two runs in the eighth inning on a two-run double, putting the Express ahead 6-4. El Paso left 12 runners on base and struck out 13 times. Left-hander Yuki Matsui made another rehab appearance, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout. El Paso Chihuahuas Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Jase Bowen 5 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Sung-Mun Song 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Nate Mondou 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Nick Solak 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rodolfo Durán 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Clay Dungan 4 1 3 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Mason McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 33 4 7 0 0 2 4 3 13 0 El Paso Chihuahuas Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Yuki Matsui 1 1 0 0 1 1 16 Justin Yeager 1 2 2 1 0 2 25 L, 1-2 Omar Cruz 1 1 1 1 1 2 30 Ethan Routzahn 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 1 30 BS, 1 Misael Tamarez 1 2/3 1 2 2 3 2 41 H, 2 Evan Fitterer 2 3 1 1 2 2 46 Haynes Has Solid Start, But Missions' Bullepn Falters In 7-2 Loss San Antonio fell to Midland 7-2 in a game shortened to seven innings thanks to a 2½-hour rain delay, with Romeo Sanabria providing a first-inning spark that was ultimately undone by a five-run sixth. Sanabria hit a two-run home run in the first inning, scoring Ethan Salas, to give San Antonio a 2-0 lead. Jagger Haynes kept that lead intact for five innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, one walk, and striking out five. Haynes held Midland to one run in the first inning and one more in the third before exiting after five. The sixth inning proved decisive as Midland scored five runs on four hits and three walks. Salas went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Albert Fabian went 2-for-3. Sanabria also drew a walk to go along with his first home run of the season, but San Antonio managed just six hits overall and left 13 runners on base. San Antonio Missions Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Ethan Salas 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Romeo Sanabria 2 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leandro Cedeño 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Kai Murphy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Albert Fabian 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals 26 2 6 0 0 1 2 2 7 0 San Antonio Missions Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Jagger Haynes 5 3 2 2 1 5 80 Michael Flynn 0 4 5 5 2 0 18 L, 0-1 Andrew Moore 1 0 0 0 1 0 12 Tears' Home Run Headlines Fort Wayne's 13-4 Loss Fort Wayne rallied for four runs in the seventh inning, but could not overcome a nine-run deficit as Lake County beat the TinCaps 13-4. Maikel Miralles allowed five earned runs on five hits in four innings, walking two and striking out three. He was charged with the loss. The TinCaps' only significant offensive action came in the seventh. Kavares Tears hit a two-run home run to trim the lead to 9-2, and Fort Wayne added two more in the inning. Lamar King Jr. scored on a Rosman Verdugo groundout, and Kasen Wells singled in Jack Costello to round out the four-run frame. Tears finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Wells went 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Alex McCoy had two hits in three at-bats and scored a run. Fort Wayne's pitching staff issued 11 walks. Lake County scored four runs in the third, three in the fifth and four more in the seventh. Fort Wayne TinCaps Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Zach Evans 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dylan Grego 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alex McCoy 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kavares Tears 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Kasen Wells 4 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 36 4 8 0 0 1 4 2 9 0 Fort Wayne TinCaps Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Vicarte Domingo 0 2/3 2 4 4 3 0 30 Will Varmette 0 2/3 1 0 0 2 2 29 Maikel Miralles 4 5 5 5 2 3 62 L, 0-1 Bernard Jose 1 2/3 4 4 4 4 2 44 Clark Candiotti 1 1 0 0 0 1 20 Storm Rally, But Come Up Short In 11 Innings 5-4 Lake Elsinore overcame a three-run deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning and took the lead in the 10th, but Stockton scored on a wild pitch in the 11th to hand the Storm a 5-4 loss in extra innings. Starter Winyer Chourio was the standout on the mound, working three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and walking four. Daichi Moriki took the loss in the 11th when a wild pitch allowed the zombie runner, now on third base, to score and give Stockton the walk-off win. The eighth-inning comeback was led by Kale Fountain, who singled to score Conner Westenburg, and Truitt Madonna, who singled to score Fountain and brought the Storm within one. Bradley Frye also scored in the inning to complete the 3-3 tie. In the 10th inning, Fountain served as the zombie runner on second base, and Madonna drove him home with a sacrifice fly to put Lake Elsinore ahead 4-3. Westenburg went 2-for-3 with a run scored, three stolen bases, and a walk. Madonna drove in two runs in one at-bat, and Fountain scored twice. Lake Elsinore Storm Batting Name AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB Ryan Wideman 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Kale Fountain 5 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Bradley Frye 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Victor Duarte 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Justin DeCriscio 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 George Bilecki 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Kerrington Cross 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Luke Cantwell 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 Totals 36 4 7 0 0 0 3 5 10 4 Lake Elsinore Storm Pitching Name IP H R ER BB K Pitches Note Brandon Langley 2 2 2 2 0 3 33 Rordy Mejia 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 0 35 Winyer Chourio 3 1 0 0 4 5 66 Ethan Long 2 1 1 0 0 2 30 Will Koger 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 4 27 Daichi Moriki 0 1/3 0 1 0 1 0 11 L, 0-1 Padres Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, R Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-5, 2 K Kale Fountain: 1-for-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 K Ryan Wideman: 0-for-5, 2 K Jagger Haynes: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, R Romeo Sanabria: 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-1, 2 RBI, SB Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View full article

The anticipated bad news became official Tuesday: Nick Pivetta is on the injured list. Now, how do the San Diego Padres adjust? Pivetta, the Padres' Opening Day starter, was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. He was removed from Sunday's start three pitches into the top of the fourth inning with what the team called stiffness in his right elbow. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob was called up from Triple-A to take Pivetta's place on the roster. Jakob has 7⅓ scoreless innings in five appearances this season, but is strictly a reliever. However, that still leaves a gaping hole in the Friars' starting rotation. It is possible that Jakob is just a roster filler until Pivetta's spot in the rotation comes up Saturday vs. the Los Angeles Angels, when someone like right-hander Matt Waldron could be activated from the injured list. Waldron has been really good during his rehab assignment following his hemorrhoid surgery in spring training. In three appearances at Triple-A El Paso, where he has pitched 12 scoreless innings with one walk and 12 strikeouts. Waldron's rehab assignment only has less than two weeks remaining, so this would be the perfect opportunity to bring him back. The Padres were also connected Tuesday to free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito, who is surprisingly still on the market. But with Giolito not settling for a cheaper, prove-it contract, his price tag might be a little out of the Friars' price range. Another option is left-hander JP Sears, who was optioned to Triple-A after not making the Opening Day roster. Sears has made three starts for El Paso, registering a 4.73 ERA with six walks and 11 strikeouts in 13⅓ innings. One more possibility would be left-hander Kyle Hart stretching out to a starter's role. Hart has been the long man in the Padres' bullpen, but with uneven results. In six games, Hart has a 3.73 FIP and 4.91 ERA in 11 innings. He has walked five and struck out six. View full rumor

The competition for right-handed starter Lucas Giolito is heating up, which means there could be a decision soon on one of the top free agents from this past offseason. According to The Athletic on Tuesday, the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs are the top contenders to land the 2019 All-Star who has yet to find a home despite a moderately successful 2025, his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Giolito had a 4.17 FIP (3.41 ERA) in 26 starts for the Boston Red Sox last year. The Padres and Cubs are in need of fortifying their starting rotations. Padres Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta left Sunday's game with stiffness in his right elbow. More on his fate, which is likely to include a trip to the injured list, could be revealed Tuesday. The Cubs are in a more precarious situation. Right-hander Cade Horton, last year's NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, is likely to undergo season-ending surgery on his right UCL. Left-hander Matthew Boyd, the Cubs' Opening Day starter who is on the 15-day injured list with a strained left biceps, is slated to have one rehab appearance before rejoining the rotation next week. Giolito, who had three top-11 finishes in AL Cy Young Award voting (2019-2021) with the Chicago White Sox, is a Southern California native who has said he has been throwing bullpen sessions of 75 pitches to stay in shape and hasn't signed because no team has met his price. View full rumor

We're roughly two-and-a-half weeks into the Triple-A season, with the other three levels—Double-A, High-A, Low-A—having just more than a week of games under their belt. Already, there are some standouts among San Diego Padres' minor-league players worth highlighting... as well as some things to be concerned about. Every two weeks, we will check in with the Padres' farm system to recap some notable performances, good and bad. We will also keep tabs on the Friars who are on the injured list and making their way back on a rehab assignment. San Diego Padres Rehab Report IF Sung Mun Song (right oblique tightness) In 14 games, Song has a .280/.357/.320 slash line with two doubles, nine RBIs and six runs scored. He's drawn six walks and struck out 16 times in 44 at-bats. He also has five multi-hit games, including going 2-for-5 on April 12. RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) Canning has made two starts at El Paso, most recently Friday, going 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs on six hits with five walks and eight strikeouts. He 62 pitches last Friday as he builds back up his pitch count. LHP Yuki Matsui (strained left groin) Matsui made his third appearance for El Paso on Saturday. After two scoreless one-inning appearances, he allowed his first run on two hits vs. Albuquerque. He's allowed a combined four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. RHP Matt Waldron (hemorrhoid surgery) Waldron has been sensational at El Paso with three scoreless starts over 12 innings. He's allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out 12. He went five innings and 58 pitches Thursday in his most recent start. Padres' Farm System Standouts CF Jase Bowen (Triple-A El Paso) Bowen has been flashing his diverse talents with a slash line of .264/.316/.585 to start the season. That includes the seventh cycle in Chihuahuas history on April 3 vs. Tacoma, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored. He capped it with an eighth-inning triple. Bowen entered Sunday tied for the Pacific Coast League lead in triples (2), tied for third in extra-base hits (9), fourth in slugging percentage (.638) and tied for sixth in total bases (30). He had his fourth multi-hit game Saturday. Kash Mayfield (High-A Fort Wayne) Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect has been unhittable in two starts this season. His four no-hit innings Friday followed three no-hit frames in his season debut April 3. He has walked a combined five in those outings, while striking out four each time. The 2024 first-round draft choice spent all of 2025 at Low-A Lake Elsinore and led the organization with 13.05 strikeouts per nine innings (minimum 50 innings). CF Ryan Wideman (Low-A Lake Elsinore) The No. 9 prospect on Padres Mission is showing some promising signs after a 26-game stint at Lake Elsinore last year. Last year's third-round draft choice has a .278/.366/.444 slash line with one homer and seven RBIs in nine games. He has nice power-speed potential, with one home run already and four stolen bases. Plus, he's already drawn four walks, while striking out eight times. A year ago, he walked 12 times and struck out 32 times in those 26 games. Padres' Farm System Disappointments LHP Marco Gonzales (Triple-A El Paso) Gonzalez's rough spring has continued into his first three starts of the season. In 13⅔ innings, he's allowed a whopping 25 hits and 17 runs (12 earned) with one walk and nine strikeouts. The hits and runs are the worst marks in the PCL. In his most recent outing Wednesday vs. Albuquerque, he allowed 13 hits and 10 runs (five earned) in 3⅔ innings. Didn't pitch at all in 2025 as he came back from left flexor tendon surgery in September 2024. RHP Victor Lizarraga (Double-A San Antonio) The San Diego-born starter continues to have issues with walks, issuing five while also surrendering three hits and recording just one out Thursday vs. Corpus Christi; he was tagged for seven runs, all earned. He also gave up six free passes in five innings in his first start April 2 at Tulsa. Last year, Lizarraga had 60 walks in 101⅓ innings, mostly at Double-A, with two games at Triple-A. IF Rosman Verdugo (High-A Fort Wayne) Verdugo is off to a 3-for-25 start (.120), including 11 strikeouts. He began the season hitless in 13 at-bats before delivering a walk-off single Thursday in a 2-1 win over Lansing. He reached base for the first time via hit by pitch two plate appearances before his game-winner. He notably followed that by walking in his first plate appearance Friday and getting his second hit in the fourth inning. Verdugo got his third single in four games Sunday, so perhaps he's busting out of his slump. View full article

Padres' Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 6-1 Runs scored last week: 42 Runs allowed last week: 21 Standings Random Stats The Padres have won 11 of their last 13 meetings with the Pirates, with both losses being taken by Nick Pivetta. Via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres' slow start with the bats could be attributed to the quality of pitching they faced in the first 12 games. Per MLB Data Warehouse, had faced the nastiest pitching of any team in MLB based on Stuff+. The Rockies entered the series ranked last in staff nastiness. The Friars have captured the opener in each of their last two series after dropping the first game of their first three series of the season. Xander Bogaerts hit the 10th walk-off grand slam in Padres history and the first since Manny Machado on Aug. 19, 2020. The last time the Padres had back-to-back walk-off homers was June 11-12, 2024, against the Oakland A's. The second one came off Mason Miller, courtesy of Jackson Merrill. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s three-hit game Saturday was the 200th multi-hit game of his career. Transactions Friday: Placed RHP Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day injured list with right elbow tendinitis. Friday: Activated RHP Jason Adam (left quad) from the 15-day injured list. Website Highlights Miller's unholy evolution mirrors that of Diaz — N.B. Lindberg Tatis is crushing baseballs, but his timing is way off — Randy Holt Can Campusano (finally) break the Padres' catching curse? — Brendan Dentino Padres history: Rushing prospects up the minor-league ranks and what it means for Schoolcraft — Joe Naiman The numbers behind Craig Stammen's tinkering with the Padres' lineup — Steve Drumwright Will the real Nick Pivetta please stand up? — Andy Johnson Looking Ahead Monday: Off Tuesday: Mariners (Bryan Woo) at Padres (Michael King), 6:40 p.m. Wednesday: Mariners (Emerson Hancock) at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 6:40 p.m. Thursday: Mariners (Luis Castillo) at Padres (Walker Buehler), 5:40 p.m. Friday: Padres (German Marquez) at Angels, 6:38 p.m. Saturday: Padres (TBA) at Angels, 6:38 p.m. Sunday: Padres (Michael King) at Angels, 1:07 p.m. View full article

The San Diego Padres became the final MLB team to alter their Opening Day roster, activating late-inning bullpen stalwart Jason Adam from the 15-day injured list Friday. To make room for Adam, right-hander Jeremiah Estrada went on the 15-day IL with tendinitis in his right elbow. Adam, a right-handed setup man, ruptured his left quadriceps tendon in a Sept. 1 game and required surgery. He progressed well during the offseason, with speculation that he could have been on the Opening Day roster. Instead, Adam started the season on the IL and got in a few more outings during a rehab assignment at Triple-A El Paso. At El Paso, Adam made four appearances and didn't allow a run, including two perfect innings Wednesday as a final tune-up. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one in his five rehab innings. He rejoins a Padres bullpen that has been decent in the first 13 games of the season, albeit with a few blips, ranking 10th in MLB with a 3.05 ERA. Friars relievers have worked the fourth-most innings thus far with 56. Last year, Adam had a 3.07 FIP (1.93 ERA) in 65 appearances over 65⅓ innings as a key member of a bullpen that had the best ERA in the majors at 3.06. Estrada has battled a loss in velocity in his seven outings this season, allowing four runs in his season debut and two more Thursday. Estrada's four-seam fastball has averaged 95 mph this season after being at 97.9 in 2025. He has a 5.14 ERA in 5⅓ innings, with five walks and eight strikeouts this season. View full rumor

Ever since it was mentioned that right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. might not be hitting leadoff for the San Diego Padres this season and that first-year manager Craig Stammen was going to tinker with the top half of his lineup, conversations have stirred from barstools and coffee shops in La Jolla to those down in Chula Vista. The question being asked: What is the best lineup for the Friars? While the experiment in spring training was interrupted by the World Baseball Classic, Stammen and the Padres have had two weeks of the regular season to work it out on the fly. And although days off, slumps, hot streaks and injuries will certainly play a role, there are signs of stability forming in the top five spots, even with the offense still trying to find some consistency. For now. In the first 12 games of the season, the top five has had six combinations involving eight players. Before Wednesday, the only players to appear in the top five in every game are ones you would expect: Tatis and third baseman Manny Machado. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has done so in all but one game. Machado was given his first day off in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The others to make appearances are left fielder Ramon Laureano, center fielder Jackson Merrill, second baseman Jake Cronenworth, designated hitter Miguel Andujar and first baseman Gavin Sheets. The evolution has been interesting to watch. It felt like Stammen was the exclusive voice putting together the first five lineups. Then, in the sixth game, the series finale vs. the San Francisco Giants, Stammen credited bench coach Randy Knorr with the batting order that produced a 7-1 win. Since then, Stammen's comments have indicated a more collaborative process. There have been two constants throughout: Tatis has hit either first or second, and Machado third or fourth in every game he has appeared. Those are the no-brainers. Who fits in around them is where the real experimentation has happened. Prior to the series against the Colorado Rockies, Laureano started the last four games in the leadoff spot, followed by Tatis, Merrill and Machado. This feels like the regular top five for the time being. Sheets replaced Machado in the cleanup spot Wednesday, with Andujar getting the start at third and batting sixth. Bogaerts has hit fifth in three of those four contests, with Andujar holding down the fort in the other. Where is Cronenworth? After leading off in three straight games on the opening homestand, the veteran infielder has been eighth or ninth in the last six games, the same spots he was in for the very first two games of the season. That is more because Cronenworth can be more effective at getting on base for the top of the order once the lineup flips. How the first five aligns also doesn't seem to matter whether there is a right-hander or left-hander on the mound to start the game. The Padres have faced four left-handed starters, with Tatis leading off three times and Laureano the other. Merrill and Cronenworth were the only left-handed hitters in the group of eight to bat in the top five before Sheets made his initial appearance Wednesday. Merrill has been in the middle of some rallies by the Friars thus far, while Cronenworth has yet to get rolling. In fact, no one in the Padres' lineup has been rolling, not even in the bottom half. Still, Machado said as recently as Tuesday that he liked the at-bats the Friars were having even if they didn't produce much. That could be the reason why Laureano has emerged as the leadoff hitter for four straight games. Tatis told Stammen in the offseason that he wasn't fond of the leadoff spot, yet that is where the manager had the superstar in his first two lineups. Tatis has hit seven times in the No. 2 spot, which seems to be where he will settle as the Friars try to get more run production out of their most talented position player. Merrill has split his time fairly evenly between third (six) and fourth (five), with Machado being in the cleanup spot in six times and No. 3 the other five. All of that has pushed Bogaerts from the No. 2 slot, where he was the first two games of the year and four times overall, down to fifth for seven games. The only time Bogaerts didn't hit in the top five was when he hit sixth against Boston Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez with Andujar, who has a strong track record against southpaws, in the No. 5 slot. One other interesting piece of the lineup construction has been the usage of Nick Castellanos. The first baseman-outfielder picked up after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies in spring training has started just five of the first 11 games. Three of those have come as the designated hitter, while he made his first career start at first base and his first since 2022 in left field. He also has come off the bench as a pinch-hitter in three games. Castellanos' starts have come in spurts, not in the lineup for the first two games, then in for three straight, benched for two more, then another two starts in a row before going back to the bench. The series opener against the Rockies also marked the 13th lineup combination in as many games, so expect this long-running experiment to continue deep into the dog days of summer. View full article

After the wildly popular pink-and-mint City Connect uniforms that reflected the city's vibrant sunsets, the San Diego Padres went a little more stoic while still using colors that pop and maintaining the multicultural vibe. The Padres were among eight MLB teams that revealed new City Connects for 2026 on Thursday. The theme of this one for the Friars is, as the team posted on social media, "Para nuestra familia, San Diego y los fieles, por siempre. For our family, San Diego, and the Faithful, forever." It also reflects Dia de los Muertos, the traditional Mexican holiday honoring the dead. Jerseys and other City Connect-related merchandise are on sale now at Petco Park and at the team store at Padres.com. View full article

MLB players are so good at catching subtle ticks and movements in opponents. If a pitcher changes anything about their approach throughout a start, hitters will notice and take advantage, leading to a phenomenon known as "pitch tipping." German Marquez had an awful debut with San Diego Padres, and when things don't go right as the No. 5 starter, fans start to bring out the biting criticism and want to move on to another option. But there appears to be a simple explanation for that poor showing: The right-hander was tipping pitches. That was what came out of the post-game report of his March 31 outing vs. the San Francisco Giants in which he allowed four runs on four hits and one walk with one strikeout in just three innings. He needed 65 pitches, 41 of which were strikes, to get those nine outs and the Padres lost 9-3 to a Giants offense that has otherwise been scuffling. On Monday, following a review of the game film and counseling from Padres pitching guru Ruben Niebla, Marquez was a different pitcher. The veteran right-hander tossed five scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-0 victory. He yielded six hits and one walk, while striking out four. Of his 92 pitches, 56 went for strikes to pick up the win, his first after 12 consecutive winless starts. In addition to hiding whatever he was doing to that tipped off Giants hitters what he was throwing, Marquez also mixed up his repertoire in the Pirates game. After relying more on his four-seamer against the Giants (46%), Marquez threw his trademark knuckle curve most often vs. the Pirates (41%). His four-seamer was close behind at 38%. His sinker usage (15%) was the same in both games, while he mixed in a few sliders in the Pirates start after shelving it vs. the Giants. The velocity was almost identical on his top three pitches, with the one changeup he threw in vs. the Pirates 2.3 mph faster than the one he threw to the Giants. The reliability of his pitches also helped him wiggle out of trouble in three of his five innings. The Pirates outing was important for Marquez, but not just to stave off the pitchforks being wielded by fans on social media. The 31-year-old signed with the Padres at the beginning of spring training for a scant $1.75 million. That was his market value following a 2025 campaign in which he had a 5.47 FIP, the highest of his career in which he made multiple starts in a season. That performance came in a 26-start sample, after making just one in 2024 in a return from a 2023 Tommy John surgery. His 2025 was limited a bit due to tendinitis in his right bicep. Thus, it's not a stretch to say he's apparently healthy for the first time since 2023. Last year, Marquez used his four-seamer 35% of the time, his knuckle curve 32%, the sinker 20%, slider 11% and changeup 2%, with the velocities in the ballpark of what they are this year. So if you can come to any determinations after two starts (hint: you can't), it would seem that the slider has been put on the back burner. But his confidence has to be restored at least somewhat following Monday. His rocky opener followed a spring training in which he allowed 13 runs in 16⅓ innings, walking seven and striking out 23. It also comes at an opportune time. Marquez has spent his entire career in the NL West, but his first 10 seasons came with the Colorado Rockies. The 2021 NL All-Star, who owns a career FIP of 4.21, is set to face his old club in his start Saturday when the Rockies visit Petco Park for four games this weekend. That is certainly bound to be an emotional outing for someone with 200 starts under his belt for that franchise. View full article