Steve Drumwright

The San Diego Padres are riding with the new guys. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was activated from the paternity list Friday, with a surprising counter-move: outfielder Bryce Johnson was designated for assignment. The Padres begin a nine-game road trip Friday with three games against the Baltimore Orioles. It would have seemed routine had the Padres sent infielder Will Wagner, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, back to Triple-A El Paso after he was called up Tuesday to replace Bogaerts, whose wife gave birth to the couple's third child. Two other choices might have even made sense with outfielder-infielder Samad Taylor or outfielder Jase Bowen, both recent call-ups. Instead, it was Johnson, the switch-hitting outfielder who was DFA'd after posting a .178/.229/.222 slash line with no homers and two RBIs in 32 games. The play of Taylor and Bowen, a pair of energy guys, has been solid thus far, in particular some noteworthy contributions by Taylor. Johnson, a good defender who can play any outfield spot, is the second player from the Opening Day roster who has been DFA'd, joining outfielder Nick Castellanos. There is a chance that if Johnson goes unclaimed, he could return to Triple-A. View full rumor

With the calendar flipping to June, every front office's focus has turned to the trade deadline. [And the draft, of course, but for the purposes of this exercise, the trade deadline is our only consideration.] Most of the chatter is on who certain teams should be acquiring. Already, the San Diego Padres have been linked to two left-handers: two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman. How credible at least the Skubal talk is remains to be seen. But, what would it take for the Friars to acquire any player, much less Skubal? And do the Padres have those players? That is obviously debatable. The Padres have the consensus worst minor-league system in MLB thanks to previous deals made by president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. When scanning through Padres Mission's Top 20 prospects, there are maybe two that you have to consider virtually untouchable. Those would be catcher Ethan Salas and left-handed starter Kash Mayfield, the Friars' top two prospects. Salas, our No. 1 prospect, is one of the rare catchers who is projected to not only be a terrific defender at the MLB level, but also a quality hitter. The left-handed hitter, who turned 20 last week, has restored the luster on his prospect status this year at Double-A San Antonio after missing almost all of 2025 with a back injury. He's currently hitting .291/.350/.455 with seven homers, 32 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 51 games. Mayfield, our No. 2 prospect, has been dominant at High-A Fort Wayne. In ten starts, he has a 3.15 ERA with a 11.8% walk rate and 30.7% strikeout rate over 40 innings. He has allowed a grand total of 21 hits and not allowed a run in six of his starts. While you can never rule out anything with Preller, let's set Salas and Mayfield aside for now. In that case, what do the Padres really have to offer teams? There are two players currently in our top 10 that jump out to me. They would be Low-A Lake Elsinore center fielder Ryan Wideman (No. 5 prospect) and Fort Wayne catcher Lamar King Jr. (No. 10). A third attractive prospect would be Lake Elsinore shortstop Jorge Quintana (No. 6), whom the Padres acquired at last year's trade deadline from the Milwaukee Brewers along with left-hander Nestor Cortes in exchange for outfielder Brandon Lockridge. Wideman is probably the most dynamic player in the system. He leads the minors in stolen bases with 39 and owns a slash line of .317/.383/.515 with five homers and 39 RBIs. There is more power to come from Wideman, but the speed threat is real and he plays the premium position of center pretty well. The biggest knock on Wideman, a third-round draft choice in 2025, entering the season was his strikeout rate, which has gone from 28.6% last year as he made his pro debut to 18.1% this year. Meanwhile, King is coming off a really nice May (.274/.384/.417) that brought his season slash line up to .248/.365/.373. He was a fourth-round pick in 2022, but was slowed by a shoulder injury and a concussion to begin his career. King has athleticism in his family as his father, Lamar King, was a first-round draft choice and played defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. Quintana hasn't shown much offensively, producing a .228/.307/.295 slash line entering June. A switch-hitter with speed and good size (6-foot-2), his defense will carry him for a while, but will need to show more offensively. Two players currently unavailable from the top 10 are No. 7 prospect Ty Harvey, a catcher, and No. 8 prospect Kale Fountain, who was moved to the outfield this year. Harvey recently broke his left hand as it was hit by an opponent's bat and will be sidelined probably until July. Fountain is out for the season after having shoulder surgery after crashing into the fence. Both are with Lake Elsinore. In the group of the prospects ranked 11-20, three more players pop. Those are Fort Wayne outfielder Alex McCoy (No. 12), Fort Wayne right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove (No. 14) and Triple-A right-handed reliever Garrett Hawkins (No. 15). McCoy has been a revelation this year after signing as an undrafted free agent last summer. The 6-foot-5 left fielder had a slash line of .286/.359/.571 entering June with 10 homers, 39 RBIs and nine steals. He has as much raw power as anyone in the minors. He had a 118 mph exit velocity last year with Lake Elsinore, then a 119.5 mph groundout this year. That would be the second-hardest hit by a Padre in the Statcast era (2015) behind only Manny Machado on Aug. 20, 2021. He currently leads the Midwest League in doubles (18), extra-base hits (29) and total bases (102). Musgrove was drafted as a two-way player, but has ditched hitting to focus on pitching. He has a triple-digit fastball and has been handled gently since coming back from Tommy John surgery after being drafted in the seventh round in 2023. He threw just 20 innings over 14 appearances at Lake Elsinore last year and has been strictly in a relief role for his 15 games (15 innings) this year at Fort Wayne. He is currently running a ridiculous 43.2% strikeout rate and should climb the minor-league ladder quickly if he's healthy. Hawkins is the most MLB-ready of any of these prospects, although Salas' defense is at that level now. While he has a 6.17 ERA, six of the 16 earned runs he has allowed this season came in a single outing in the thin air of Albuquerque. The Padres' Minor League Pitcher of the Year last year, Hawkins' walk and strikeout rates have gone in the wrong direction as he moved up from Double-A to Triple-A, but he should adjust to the increased level of competition sooner rather than later. One other name to watch is left-hander Jagger Haynes. He is eligible again to be selected in the Rule 5 draft after being bypassed last winter. He is at San Antonio with a 4.50 ERA. Everyone wants a left-hander, right? Everyone rates prospects differently, but the universally thin minor-league system the Padres sport could mean dealing from the MLB roster to acquire a significant piece. The bullpen is the strongest unit and it would be tough to break up that unit, although left-hander Yuki Matsui could be dealt in any trade that brings back bullpen piece. The struggling Padres offense also doesn't present many options. Infielder Sung Mun Song hasn't latched onto a role while Jake Cronenworth is out with a concussion, so Song could be on the move, too. Outfielder Jase Bowen, just called up for his MLB debut, could be part of any conversation as well. View full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-3 Thursday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas won 7-6 in 10 innings over Round Rock, the Double-A San Antonio Missions lost to Frisco 6-3, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were walked off by Dayton 5-4 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm fell in 10 innings to Ontario 10-8. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves. Strange Double Play Completes Chihuahuas' 10th-Inning Victory Carlos Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch in the top of the 10th inning and the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas pulled off a rare game-ending double play at home to squeak out a 7-6 victory over the host Round Rock Express. Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games and on-base streak to 21 with a sixth-inning single. Nick Solak, Nick Schnell and Nate Mondou each had two hits, while newly signed Nick Pratto hit a solo homer in his second game with the Chihuahuas, his sixth of the season. Pratto was released by the Texas Rangers, the Express' parent team, on Tuesday and switched clubhouses for his first game Wednesday. Chihuahuas left-handed starter JP Sears gave up four runs in 5⅓ innings on nine hits and no walks with one strikeout. Rodriguez was the zombie runner to begin the top of the 10th and went to third on a wild pitch. After Solak walked, another wild pitch by Alexis Diaz brought in Rodriguez. But the real drama was in the bottom of the 10th. With one out, zombie runner Josh Smith stole third, with the hitter then walking. Jarred Kelenic pinch-ran. Kelenic was picked off first by left-hander Kyle Hart, with Pratto, the first baseman, throwing him out at second. Second baseman Nate Mondou spotted Smith trying to score and threw home to catcher Blake Hunt, who applied the game-ending tag to complete the double play. EP_0611.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 3 2 1 0 1 0 Clay Dungan 5 0 1 0 0 3 Carlos Rodríguez 5 1 1 0 0 0 Nick Solak 4 2 2 1 1 1 Nick Schnell 5 1 2 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 1 0 0 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon 3 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Pratto 4 1 1 1 1 1 Blake Hunt 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nate Mondou 4 0 2 2 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR JP Sears 5 1/3 9 4 4 0 1 0 Michael Flynn 2/3 0 0 0 0 2 0 Alek Jacob 2 2 1 1 0 2 1 Kyle Hart 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 Missions Throttled By 5-Run Inning From RoughRiders A five-run third inning proved to be the difference as the host Double-A San Antonio Missions lost to the Frisco RoughRiders 6-3. Ryan Jackson went 3-for-4 and Albert Fabian homered for the Missions, who scored all three of their runs in the second inning. Jackson singled with one out and scored on Francisco Acuna's double before Fabian launched his two-run blast, his fourth homer of the season. Missions right-handed starter Miguel Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, had a rough night, giving up five runs on six hits with a walk and a strikeout in four innings. All five runs came in the third inning. Left-hander Omar Cruz struck out eight in three innings, allowing up an unearned run in the seventh, while Andrew Moore pitched two hitless innings. SA_0611.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 3 0 1 0 1 2 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 2 Ryan Jackson 4 1 3 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 3 1 1 1 1 0 Albert Fabian 4 1 1 2 0 2 Luis Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mendez 4 6 5 5 1 1 0 Omar Cruz 3 2 1 0 0 8 0 Andrew Moore 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Walk-Off Steal Of Home Sends TinCaps To 8th Straight Loss The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps suffered their eighth loss in a row in heartbreaking fashion as the host Dayton Dragons stole home with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win. Kavares Tears and Kasen Wells each went 2-for-4, with Wells driving in a pair of runs and Tears with an RBI and a run scored. Mason McCoy singled, walked and scored twice. TinCaps right-handed starter Carson Montgomery lasted four innings, surrendering three runs on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Five relievers followed, allowing two runs on three hits, with five walks and six strikeouts. Two of those walks came with one out in the ninth by TinCaps closer Clay Edmondson, who had already recorded three outs in the eighth. Edmondson was relieved by right-hander C.J. Widger, who hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. Widger struck out the next batter, then the runner at third stole home for the walk-off. FW_0611.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 0 0 1 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 1 2 Lamar King Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 1 0 0 0 0 1 Jake Cunningham 4 0 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy 3 2 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 3 0 1 0 1 1 Kavares Tears 4 1 2 1 0 1 Zach Evans 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 3 1 0 0 1 1 Kasen Wells 4 0 2 2 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4 4 3 3 1 6 2 Braian Salazar 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Javier Chacon 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Tucker Musgrove 2/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Clay Edmondson 1 1/3 0 1 1 3 1 0 C.J. Widger 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Storm Stumble Late, Fall To Tower Buzzers In 10 Innings An offense that scored eight times over seven innings was held scoreless for the final three as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm was upended by the Ontario Tower Buzzers 10-8 in 10 innings. The Storm walked 10 times in addition to outhitting Ontario 9-7, but four Lake Elsinore pitchers also issued 10 walks. A white-hot Luke Cantwell went 2-for-5 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored, while Bradley Frye went 2-for-3 with a double, a pair of walks and a run scored, Ryan Wideman drove in a pair and Jorge Quintana reached base three times on two walks and a single. Every Storm hitter reached base via a walk or a hit. Storm right-handed starter Bryan Balzer went six innings, but yielded five runs on five hits and three walks while fanning four. Right-handers Carson Swilling (one strikeout), Will Koger (two strikeouts) and Sean Barnett (three strikeouts) each went 1⅓ innings. Swilling and Barnett walked a pair and Koger three. The Storm were down 5-1 after the top of the fourth inning before tying it with a four-run bottom of the fourth. A wild pitch brought in one run, Conner Westenburg doubled home another and Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, had a two-run double, his 19th of the season, one off the California League lead. Quintana had an RBI single in the sixth, while Cantwell had a run-scoring single in the seventh and scored on a balk for an 8-5 lead. Ontario came back with two in the eighth, one in the ninth and two in the 10th before holding the Storm scoreless in the bottom of the 10th for the win. LE_0611.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 6 0 1 2 0 3 Kerrington Cross 6 0 1 0 0 2 Jose Verdugo 5 1 0 0 1 1 Luke Cantwell 5 3 2 1 1 2 Yoiber Ocopio 4 1 1 0 1 0 Bradley Frye 3 1 2 0 2 1 Jorge Quintana 3 0 1 1 2 1 George Bilecki 3 1 0 0 2 3 Conner Westenburg 3 1 1 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 6 5 5 5 3 4 1 Carson Swilling 1 1/3 0 2 2 2 1 0 Will Koger 1 1/3 1 1 1 3 2 0 Sean Barnett 1 1/3 1 2 1 2 3 0 Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 0-for-4 Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: 4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, BB, K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K Truitt Madonna: DNP Tucker Musgrove: ⅔ IP, H, BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-3, BB, K Bryan Balzer: 6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-3 Wednesday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost 4-2 to Round Rock, the Double-A San Antonio Mission were blanked by Frisco 4-0, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell again 14-2 to Dayton and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled 6-1. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres signed 1B Nick Pratto to a minor-league contract and assigned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso Chihuahuas transferred 2B Victor Duarte to the Development List. Carlos Rodriguez's Streak Reaches 16, But Chihuahuas Fall Late Right-hander Jhony Brito turned in another nice start in his first Triple-A start since coming off the injured list and Carlos Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games, but the El Paso Chihuahuas gave up a pair of seventh-inning runs to fall 4-2 to the Round Rock Express. Rodriguez went 2-for-5, keeping his streak going with a two-out single in the fourth inning and a leadoff single in the seventh. He has reached base in 20 straight games. His hitting streak is the longest by the Chihuahuas this season and the second-longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League. Brito had six rehab outings while on the Padres' 60-day injured list following an internal brace surgery and flexor tendon repair in April 2025, but was very effective in his four starts for Double-A San Antonio, with a 1.96 ERA. Against the Express, Brito went four innings and allowed just one run on three hits, but he also walked three while striking out four. The only run he gave up was a leadoff homer to Jarred Kelenic in the third inning. The Chihuahuas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Blake Hunt's RBI single to left to score Mason McCoy, who had singled and went to second on Clay Dungan's single. Round Rock tied it in the bottom of the third, then the Chihuahuas reclaimed the lead on Rodriguez's run-scoring single to bring in Hunt, who was hit by a pitch and went to second on Nate Mondou's single. It was tied again at 2-2 when the Express scored once in the fifth, then they scored twice in the seventh. EP_0610.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 5 0 1 0 0 2 Carlos Rodriguez 5 0 2 1 0 0 Nick Solak 4 0 1 0 0 0 Marcos Castanon 4 0 1 0 0 2 Nick Schnell 3 0 0 0 1 1 Mason McCoy 4 1 1 0 0 2 Clay Dungan 3 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Pratto 1 0 0 0 0 0 Blake Hunt 3 1 1 1 0 0 Nate Mondou 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jhony Brito 4 4 1 1 3 4 1 Logan Gillaspie 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 2 1 1 1 1 0 Ty Adcock 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Missions Can Only Produce 3 Hits In Shutout Loss Ethan Salas went 2-for-3, but the rest of the host Double-A San Antonio Missions had just one as the Frisco RoughRiders prevailed 5-0. Salas had singles leading off the bottom of the first and with one out in the sixth. Ryan Jackson followed Salas first-inning single with a single of his own. But the RoughRiders retired 15 straight before Salas got the third and final hit for the Missions. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Eric Yost gave up three runs in 3⅓ innings on five hits and two walks while fanning three. Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas 3 0 2 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 1 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 3 0 0 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Francisco Acuna 3 0 0 0 0 1 Brendan Durfee 2 0 0 0 1 2 Kai Murphy 3 0 0 0 0 0 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 3 1/3 5 3 3 2 3 0 Andrew Thurman 2 2/3 0 0 0 3 3 0 Johan Moreno 1 2/3 2 2 2 1 0 0 Sadrac Franco 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 TinCaps Pounded By Dragons, Drop 7th Straight The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps gave up a seven-run fifth inning, the seven more runs over the next three innings in suffering a 14-2 loss at the hands of the host Dayton Dragons. The TinCaps had a mere five hits, only one a double. Justin DeCriscio had an RBI single in the third inning and Oswaldo a run-scoring groundout. TinCaps right-handed starter Maikel Miralles gave up three runs in 4-plus innings on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Left-hander Igo Gil and right-hander Isaiah Lowe each followed with an inning apiece and gave up three runs each. Right-hander Luis German then gave up four runs in 1⅓ innings. FW_0610.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 3 0 1 1 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Lamar King Jr. 3 0 0 0 1 1 Alex McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jake Cunningham 4 0 1 0 0 2 Jack Costello 4 1 1 0 0 2 Zach Evans 4 0 1 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 3 1 0 1 1 1 Kasen Wells 2 0 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Maikel Miralles 4 5 4 3 2 2 1 Igor Gil 1 3 3 3 1 1 0 Isaiah Lowe 1 1/3 2 3 3 2 1 0 Luis German 1 1/3 4 4 4 2 1 1 Will Varmette 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jesus Castro Punches Out Career-High 12 As Storm Prevail Right-hander Jesus Castro struck out a career-high 12 in 4⅔ innings and Kerrington Cross had a two-run double in a four-run seventh inning as the host Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm notched a 6-1 victory over the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Ryan Wideman reached base three times with a pair of hits and a walk, scored a run and also stole two bases to boost his minors-leading total to 39. Luke Cantwell also had a pair of hits and a walk, while Cross walked twice in addition to the double, scoring twice. Castro bettered his previous career high of nine strikeouts that he accomplished in 5⅔ innings May 13 vs. Ranco Cucamonga. It also came a night after Winyer Chourio struck out nine over six innings. Castro didn't allow a run, giving up three hits and two walks while throwing 96 pitches. Castro's ERA dropped to 2.72. He now has 53 strikeouts this season, meaning just over of the total he accrued in 10 starts came in this game. Cantwell, who came off the injured list Sunday, doubled home a run in the first inning and is now 7-for-12 with five RBIs. Jorge Quintana made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. In the seventh, Quintana drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a one-out wild pitch. Conner Westenburg reached after striking out due to a wild pitch, moving Quintana to third. Wideman walked to load the bases, then another wild pitch to plate Quintana. Wideman stole second, then Cross doubled home a pair for a 5-0 lead. Jose Verdugo followed with a sac fly to cap the four-run inning and put the Storm up 6-1. Right-hander Nick Falter went 2⅓ scoreless innings and right-hander Vicarte Domingo allowed a ninth-inning run in his two innings. LE_0610.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 4 1 2 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross 3 2 1 2 2 2 Jose Verdugo 2 0 0 1 1 2 Luke Cantwell 3 0 2 1 1 0 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Bradley Frye 3 1 1 0 1 0 Jorge Quintana 1 1 0 1 2 1 Qrey Lott 4 0 0 0 0 2 Conner Westenburg 4 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 4 2/3 3 0 0 2 12 0 Nick Falter 2 1/3 2 0 0 0 1 0 Vicarte Domingo 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 Padres Mission Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-3 Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 2-for-4, R, BB, K, 2 SB Jorge Quintana: 0-for-1, R, RBI, 2 BB, K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, BB, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 0-for-4 Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: 3⅓ IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4, K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 1-3 Tuesday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas held on for a 5-3 win over Round Rock, the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped a 10-4 decision to Frisco, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were pounded 11-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm lost to Ontario 5-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres recalled IF Will Wagner from El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Triston McKenzie from the Development List. Lake Elsinore Storm transferred C Ty Harvey from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Carlos Rodriguez Extends Streak To 15 With 3 Hits In Chihuahuas' Win Carlos Rodriguez went 3-for-5 to extend his career-high hitting streak to 15 games and left-hander Marco Gonzales turned in a nice start as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas turned back the host Round Rock Express. The Chihuahuas scored single runs in five innings. Pablo Reyes, Nick Schnell and Mason McCoy each had two of the Chihuahuas' 12 hits, with Schnell homering. Clay Dungan walked three times and had a single in his four plate appearances and has reached base seven times in two games. Gonzales, who entered the game with a 9.16 ERA, has had four of his best starts this season in his last five outings. Against the Express, he went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and one strikeout as his ERA dropped to 8.52. Right-hander Evan Fitterer came on and pitched 3⅓ innings before running into trouble in the ninth. He gave up four hits and walked four while striking out a pair, giving up a ninth-inning run. Left-hander Kyle Hart finished off the final two-thirds of an inning for his first career save. Reyes led off the game with a double, went to third on a flyout and scored one batter later on Marcos Castanon's groundout. In the second, Dungan drew a one-out walk and Anthony Vilar doubled him home with two outs for a 2-0 lead. After Round Rock scored once in the third, Schnell led off the top of the fourth with his 11th homer to restore a two-run lead at 3-1. The Express trimmed it to 3-2 in the fifth, but the Chihuahuas added a run in the eighth when McCoy, as part of a double steal, scored on a throwing error by the catcher, then added the final run in the ninth as Castanon walked with two outs followed by singles by Schnell and McCoy. EP_0609.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 5 1 2 0 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez 5 0 3 0 0 0 Nick Solak 3 0 0 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 1 1 1 1 1 Nick Schnell 5 1 2 1 0 1 Mason McCoy 5 1 2 1 0 2 Clay Dungan 1 1 1 0 3 0 Nate Mondou 4 0 0 0 1 3 Anthony Vilar 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Marco Gonzales 5 5 2 2 2 1 0 Evan Fitterer 3 1/3 3 1 1 4 2 0 Kyle Hart 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Missions Watch Early Lead Evaporate Against RoughRiders Despite jumping out to a 4-0 lead, the host Double-A San Antonio Missions gave up five late runs and suffered a 10-4 loss to the Frisco RoughRiders. Kai Murphy had two of the six hits for the Missions, who only had one RBI with the four runs they scored. The Missions scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Ethan Salas drove in a run on a fielder's choice and an error. One out later, a wild pitch scored a run and then a passed ball brought in another for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, two singles put runners on the corners, with Luis Verdugo scoring on a wild pitch. Missions right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga took a four-hit shutout into the sixth inning, but then gave up five runs on five hits and a walk while getting just one out in the sixth as the RoughRiders grabbed a 5-4 lead. After adding one run in the eight, the RoughRiders scored four in the ninth to put this one out of reach. SA_0609.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas 4 0 0 1 1 1 Ryan Jackson 5 0 0 0 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 0 0 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 1 0 0 1 Luis Verdugo 4 1 1 0 0 2 Albert Fabian 3 0 1 0 1 0 Francisco Acuna 3 1 1 0 1 2 Kai Murphy 4 1 2 0 0 0 Kai Roberts 2 1 0 0 2 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 5 1/3 9 5 5 1 3 0 Harry Gustin 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Clark Candiotti 1 1 4 4 4 1 0 Francis Peña 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 TinCaps Throttled By Early Dragons Onslaught The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were hit hard early, giving up 12 runs in the first four innings en route to a 12-2 loss to the host Dayton Dragons. The TinCaps have won just three of their past 13 games. Zach Evans went 2-for-4, both doubles, as the TinCaps had six hits. Evans has hits in nine of his last 11 games. TinCaps right-handed starter Matthew Watson was tagged for nine runs in three-plus innings on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Dayton hit four homers off Watson. FW_0609.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 0 0 0 1 2 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 0 0 1 1 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy 4 1 0 0 0 0 Jake Cunningham 2 0 1 0 2 1 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 1 1 0 1 Jack Costello 2 0 0 0 2 1 Zach Evans 4 1 2 0 0 0 Kasen Wells 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 3 9 9 9 1 4 4 Kleiber Olmedo 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 Ryan Och 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 C.J. Widger 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Winyer Chourio Fans 9, but Storm Can't Hold Off Tower Buzzers Right-hander Winyer Chourio struck out nine and tossed six quality innings, but a three-run eighth inning proved to be the downfall for the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm, who fell 5-4 to the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Luke Cantwell went 3-for-4, including a ninth-inning triple, with three RBIs and a run scored to lead the Storm offensively. Chourio gave up two runs on four hits with a walk and those nine punchouts over six innings, which tied his career high set in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League. Chourio, who struck out a career-high 10 on May 12 and followed that up with a nine-K game May 19, has fanned 69 in 45⅔ innings this year. Ontario scored twice in the first inning before Cantwell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth to make it 2-1. In the sixth, Cantwell singled home a pair of runs to put the Storm up 3-2. Ontario countered with three runs in the eighth to take a 5-3 advantage. Cantwell led off the bottom of the ninth with his first triple of the season and scored on Kerrington Cross' groundout to second. But that would be it for the Storm. LE_0609.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Luke Cantwell 4 1 3 3 0 1 Kerrington Cross 5 0 1 1 0 3 Jose Verdugo 5 0 1 0 0 2 Yoiber Ocopio 5 0 0 0 0 2 Truitt Madonna 3 1 0 0 1 0 Bradley Frye 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 3 1 1 0 1 1 Qrey Lott 3 1 1 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio 6 4 2 2 1 9 0 Joseph Herrera 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 Rordy Mejia 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, K Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-3, BB Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 0-for-4 Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, BB Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-4, BB, K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article

The San Diego Padres will be without their starting shortstop for the next few days. Xander Bogaerts was placed on the paternity list Tuesday, with the Padres calling up infielder Will Wagner from Triple-A El Paso. The paternity list allows a player to miss up to three days due to the birth of their child. The Padres continue their series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday and Wednesday, then are off Thursday before beginning a road trip Friday against the Baltimore Orioles. It is likely Bogaerts will rejoin the team Friday. In 63 games, Bogaerts has a slash line of .231/.303/.356 with eight homers, 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases. Wagner, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year's trade deadline, has slashed .255/.381/.382 for El Paso with three homers and 12 RBIs in 30 games. The start of his season was delayed due to an oblique injury. In 79 MLB games with the Jays and Padres the last two seasons, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner has a .256/.329/.346 slash line with no homers and seven RBIs. Sung-Mun Song is likely to start at shortstop with Bogaerts out. View full rumor

Let's check in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week (check out Padres Mission's latest Top 20 rankings as well!): Jake Cunningham, OF, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: .295/.383/.628, 46 games, 32 R, 10 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 32 RBI, 21 BB, 56 K, 5 SB, 2 CS Hit three home runs in a single game and you make a hot list. Cunningham did just that Friday, when he went deep in his first three plate appearances against the Lake County Captains. The right-handed-hitting outfielder mashed a three-run homer in his first-inning at-bat, a two-run blast in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth. That means he had two more shots at breaking the franchise record for homers in a game and joining the exclusive four-homer club. But he struck out in the seventh with a runner on first, then popped out to first base with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth in an 11-8 loss. In an unusual quirk, another Midwest League player hit three homers in a game that same day (Carlos Sanchez of the Beloit Sky Carp). Both teams lost, the first time in affiliated ball since that info began being tracked in 2005 that two players hit three or more homers on the same day for losing teams, according to a note from the TinCaps. Cunningham, a month shy of turning 24, became the fourth player in franchise history to have a three-homer game. That three-homer game was part of a 6-for-23 week (.261/.320/.826) with four homers (he went deep again Sunday) and eight RBIs. He did strike out nine times in six games, a problem throughout his career. He has a 31.1% strikeout rate and 11.7% walk rate this year. Not only was Friday a remarkable day for Cunningham, it is a remarkable season. Cunningham, a fifth-round draft in 2023 out of North Carolina-Charlotte by the Baltimore Orioles, was released at the end of January and signed with the Padres a week later. Cunningham was coming off a .206/.295/.303 slash line in 2025 at High-A. In three seasons and 182 games, Cunningham had just eight homers, including only three last year. Now, he has discovered a power tool that has him leading the TinCaps with 14 homers, which is second in the Midwest League. CUNNINGHAM_0608.mp4 Miguel Mendez, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 2-1, 3.90 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 27⅔ IP, 25 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 13 BB, 32 K, .243 opponent average Since coming back from a brief stint on the injured list with a neck strain, the right-handed starter has mostly been really good. He had his best start of the season Friday, matching his season high with five innings and allowing just two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He faced the minimum over the first four innings (although he needed some help to make that happen). It was his second straight shutout outing after going three innings and giving up two hits and a walk while punching out four. Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, has been a promising arm for the Padres since signing in 2021 as an 18-year-old. At the time, he had only been pitching six months. Now 23, Mendez had to be added to the 40-man roster this past offseason or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft. Since Mendez was a late signer in terms of international players, he spent all of 2023 and 2024 at Low-A Lake Elsinore before sprinting up three levels in 2025, going from Lake Elsinore to High-A Fort Wayne to Double-A San Antonio. He put together a combined stat line of 3.90 ERA in 21 starts and 95 innings, 45 walks (10.9% rate) and 118 strikeouts (26.9%). His potential was on full display when he made his Double-A debut Aug. 7 as he struck out 11 in six innings. There has been debate on whether Mendez remains a starter as he progresses or whether he is better-suited for the bullpen once he reaches the majors. Regardless, if he continues to perform like he did in his last two starts, he could possibly make his MLB debut this year if injuries peck away further at the Padres' depth. Romeo Sanabria, 1B, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: .244/.345/.385, 54 games, 27 R, 11 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 30 BB, 57 K After finishing 2024 with 32 games at Double-A San Antonio, the left-handed-hitting first baseman played all of 2025 with the Missions. That could have led to a promotion to Triple-A El Paso for 2026, especially considering Sanabria was named MLB Pipeline's Padres Hitter of the Year following his .257/.309/.376 slash line with 12 homers and 56 RBIs last year. But here he is, back in Double-A in 2026. Maybe he needed to work through some feelings after having a decent showing during big-league spring training, In the Cactus League, Sanabria put up a .333/.385/.833 slash line with three homers and a team-leading 15 RBIs in 20 games. His dazzling 1.218 OPS also led the Padres. Last week, Sanabria broke out with a 9-for-28 performance (.321), including two homers and five RBIs. To be fair, it could benefit Sanabria that he is back in San Antonio instead of the hitters' paradise that is the Pacific Coast League. His two homers this week gave him six for the season, which is half of his career high set last year. More importantly, Sanabria is walking more this season. He has a 12.6% walk rate this year after a 7.6% mark in 2025. His strikeouts are up a bit at 23.9% from 21.4%. Sanabria has been an underdog, drafted in the 18th round out of Indian River State College in 2022. A big season this year could land him on the 40-man roster or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft. As strictly a first baseman, he needs to continue to prove himself offensively. SANABRIA_0608.mp4 Andrew Moore, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 0-1, 2.29 ERA, 16 games (all in relief), 3 holds, 1 save (2 chances), 19⅔ IP, 9 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 18 BB, 37 K, .141 opponent average The right-handed reliever is on quite a roll. Last week, he appeared in two games and all six outs he recorded were via strikeout, while giving up just one hit and a walk. That came after a May in which 22 of the 29 outs he got were punchouts. He allowed just two hits and also walked 10 in 9⅔ innings in May. Moore has a spectacular 44.6% strikeout rate (Mason Miller's is 49%), but his issue is walks with a 21.7% rate this year. He had a 19.5% walk rate in 2025 after a 16.1% mark in 2024. The MLB average is 8.5%. Originally a 14th-round draft choice of the Seattle Mariners in 2021, Moore was the return the Padres got when they shipped Connor Joe (Poway High School) to the Cincinnati Reds a year ago. He was also included in the trade that sent right-hander Luis Castillo from the Reds to the Mariners in 2022. His second game last week against Wichita was just his second save situation this year and he finished off a three-strikeout performance with a 100 mph heater. Over his last 11⅔ innings, Moore has 28 strikeouts and an .079 opponent batting average. He has especially neutralized left-handed hitters, limiting them to .097 average (3-for-31). He has multiple strikeouts in nine of his last 10 appearances, including a five-K performance May 8 vs. Midland. In those same 10 games, he has allowed five runs (three earned), with those coming in back-to-back games. Jesus Castro, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: 0-1, 3.05 ERA, 9 games (all starts), 38⅓ IP, 39 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 14 BB, 41 K, .267 opponent average The end result overshadowed what Castro did last week. The right-handed starter tossed five shutout innings, striking out five and walking two while giving up three hits. Despite the Storm jumping out to a 5-0 lead, they lost the game as Fresno scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off victory. Still, this is about Castro, who has not allowed a run in three of his last four outings (14⅔ innings). In the other, he gave up three runs in four innings. Castro just turned 19 Monday and is the younger brother of Padres prospect right-hander Manuel Castro, who is on Double-A San Antonio's injured list, is turning heads with his outings. He has struck out 32 in his last five starts (24⅓ innings), allowing five runs in that span. He has also shown good command, issuing five walks in those five starts after beginning the year with nine walks in 14 innings. This is his first season in the U.S. after pitching in the Dominican Summer League last year. There, he posted a 2.91 ERA in 11 games (eight starts) and 43⅓ innings, walking 10 and striking out 46. He had a .196 opponent average. View full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 1-5 Runs scored last week: 14 Runs allowed last week: 26 (season run differential: minus-18) Standings Scores Monday: No game Game 59 (Tuesday): Phillies 3, Padres 2 Game 60 (Wednesday): Phillies 3, Padres 2 Game 61 (Thursday): Phillies 6, Padres 4 Game 62 (Friday): Mets 5, Padres 0 Game 63 (Saturday): Padres 3, Mets 2 Game 64 (Sunday): Mets 7, Padres 3 Week in Review and Highlights Phillies series Game 1: You get a sense of where you really stand when you play teams you think are on your level. For the Padres, facing the Philadelphia Phillies for six games over a 10-day span has not been a battle of equals. The Padres lost for the fourth time in as many games to the Phillies, dropping a 3-2 decision in a game in which the Friars got another decent starting pitching performance, only to be outdone by an opponent's starter. Padres right-handed starter Randy Vasquez bounced back from two subpar performances to go five innings and give up two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The runs he surrendered were courtesy of Bryce Harper's two-run homer in the fourth inning that tied the game. But again, the Padres had trouble denting the scoreboard. Having called up outfielder Jase Bowen before the game to make his MLB debut as left fielder Ramon Laureano hit the injured list with with hip inflammation, the Padres struck for a pair of runs in the third inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled with two outs and Gavin Sheets, one of the few offensive positives thus far, smashed a two-run homer for his 10th of the season, matching Manny Machado for the team lead. But that would be the extent of the Padres' scoring against Phillies right-handed starter Aaron Nola and four relievers. Nola struck out eight over five innings and the Phillies' version of a lockdown closer, Jhoan Duran, punched out three in earning his 13th save. The Phillies grabbed the lead on a run-scoring double play. The Padres got runners on in the seventh and eighth innings, including Bowen's first MLB hit in the seventh that put runners on the corners, but couldn't push across the tying run. Game 2: Different day, same score, same result. While the Padres brought a pitcher's lengthy shutout streak to an end, a roster shakeup couldn't wake up the offense. On the day the Padres designated Nick Castellanos for assignment, they did manage to score a run of Phillies left-handed ace Cristopher Sanchez, but fell 3-2. It was the second four-game losing streak for the Friars in their last nine games. Four games is their longest skid this year. Sanchez entered the game having not allowed a run in 44⅔ innings and added six more to move up to fifth all time, the last 13 of which came against the Padres after he threw seven shutout last week at Petco Park. He did finish seven innings again, striking out eight and allowing just four hits. The positives for the Padres are that they finally ended the scoreless streak by last year's NL Cy Young Award runner-up. That came in the seventh as, with two outs, Ty France doubled to left and Jackson Merrill bounced a hard grounder through the left side of the infield and into left field. France chugged home from second and scored without a play as the throw was off the mark and took multiple hops before reaching the catcher. That snapped Sanchez's streak at 50⅔ innings (only completed innings count, which is why it isn't 51⅓), and tied the game 1-1. It was the first run Sanchez had allowed since April 30. But the Phillies scored twice in the bottom of the seventh on solo homers by J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber, the MLB leader with 23, against right-hander Jason Adam. The Padres fought back in the eighth as Tatis and Miguel Andujar singled with one out, Sheets walked after Machado struck out to load the bases and Xander Bogaerts was hit by a pitch to force in a run to bring it to 3-2. France, however, hit an inning-ending grounder. The Padres were able to rally and make it close thanks to right-handed starter Walker Buehler, who was allowed to finish six innings for just the second time as a Friar. He gave up four hits and a run, while walking two and punching out six, including Schwarber twice. Duran pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many games and 14th of the season. Game 3: Following their season-worst fifth loss in a row and ninth loss in 10 games, a 6-4 decision that completed a sweep by the Phillies, Machado had this to say: “I don’t think it can get worse.” Well, it could, but point taken. The offense has been miserable and the pitching hasn't been as expected. On this day, the defense chipped into the downfall. An aspect of the game in which the Friars are one of of MLB's best committed two miscues, one by a reliever and the other by catcher Freddy Fermin. Right-handed starter Lucas Giolito lasted just four innings (74 pitches), allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts. The Padres were kept in by right-handed starter Zach Wheeler, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and had a 3-0 lead before giving up a two-run bomb by Machado in the top of the seventh. Wheeler struck out eight and the Friars only managed only two hits. Just when it seemed like Machado might give the Padres a chance, left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon diminished that hope by giving up three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Some of the late-inning magic was back as Merrill hit a two-run homer with no outs in the top of the ninth, but the next three batters were retired to finish off the sweep. The Padres finished the road trip 1-5 and now head home to face the New York Mets, who are struggling themselves. Mets series Game 1: After facing perhaps the hottest team in the NL East, the Padres welcomed the worst team in that division as their stretch of 12 consecutive games against the East hit its final leg. The bad news is the Friars' fortunes didn't change. On a day one of their position players was possibly lost for the season and a key reliever went on the injured list, the Padres couldn't do anything offensively, mustering a mere three hits in a 5-0 loss to the New York Mets, the Friars' six consecutive loss, a season worst, and their 10th in 11 games. Right-handed starter Christian Scott, who began the season in the minors, blanked the Padres through 5⅔ innings, giving up all three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Tatis had a leadoff single in the fifth, France started the second with a single and Machado finished Scott's day with a sixth-inning single. Rodolfo Duran drew both walks and was the only Padre to reach second base. That was it. Padres right-handed starter Michael King was off just a bit. He went six innings and gave up four runs and six his, walking none and striking out four. But King gave up a pair of homers to some lesser-known Mets in Jared Young and Luis Torrens and an RBI triple by Bo Bichette. Right-hander David Morgan returned from the minors with two shutout innings. Superstar closer Mason Miller, pitching for the first time in a week, was only able to get two outs and gave up his fourth run of the season on A.J. Ewing's single and two stolen bases, then an RBI single by Brett Baty. It capped a day in which Laureano had hip surgery, with his return this year in doubt, while right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada went on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right knee. Game 2: Sometimes you just need that little bounce. When Tatis' third-inning single nutmegged the pitcher and caromed off second base into shallow right field for an RBI single, you had to think the tide, at least for this day, was going the Padres' way. And it did. Getting an unlikely go-ahead home run from the slumping Fermin, the Padres eeked out a 3-2 victory over the Mets, snapping their six-game skid, the longest of the season. Could it be a sign of better things to come? Only the upcoming games will tell that story. But for this Saturday night, there was a little hint of that Padres magic that marked their April performance. There were only five hits from the Friars and they came from three players (Tatis had two, Sung-Mun Song had two and Fermin the other), so there is still work to do there. But a win is a win. Tatis' third-inning single brought in Song from second and tied the game. The Mets took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh on a Marcus Semien leadoff homer. After being held down for six innings by Mets rookie right-handed starter Nolan McLean, the Padres were on the verge of another scoreless inning in the bottom of the seventh against right-handed reliever Austin Warren, who retired the first two hitters. Song reached on a soft single that was deflected by Warren, then Fermin and his 0-for-30 slump came to the plate. He had just four extra-base hits and no homers, but changed that when he jumped on a 94.4 mph first-pitch sinker and launched it into the left-center field bleachers for a game-changing two-run homer. It also helped turn a nice pitching performance into a victory. Right-hander Griffin Canning turned in his best effort since his season debut May 3. He limited the Mets to three hits over five innings, allowing one run with two walks and six punchouts. He overcame a 29-pitch second inning by facing the minimum in three innings. Morejon pitched a scoreless sixth, then Bradgley Rodriguez gave up Semien's seventh-inning blast and Adam overcome a pair of eighth-inning hits to put up a zero. That left the fate of the losing streak in Miller's hands. Pitching for the first time in a week, Miller withstood a two-out walk to notch his 18th save in as many chances. Game 3: While you could have considered this a soft spot in the schedule for the Padres and a chance to get things back on the right track, that turned out to not be the case. The Mets, the last-place team in the NL East, came into Petco Park and took two of three from the Padres following a 7-3 victory n the finale. The Mets were the first of four consecutive teams that are currently below .500 the Padres will face. While there were signs of life from the offense, the pitching was the bigger letdown Sunday. Right-handed starter Randy Vasquez lasted just four-plus innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, including a homer, with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. He through 75 pitches, with 49 strikes. Vasquez was lifted after giving up three singles and a walk to begin the fifth inning, which led to two more runs and a 4-0 Mets lead. The Padres did get on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Samad Taylor, a Corona native who was called up to replace Castellanos and had family see him playing for the first time in person as he made his first Petco Park start, had a one-out single, which was followed by Fermin's second homer of the season. But the Mets got those two runs back in the top of the sixth and added another in the eighth before the Padres put up a brief rally in the ninth, getting an RBI double from Fermin. Fermin has three of his seven extra-base hits this season in his last two games. There was an injury to keep an eye on. Andujar was removed in the seventh inning, an out after singling, with a hamstring injury. The hope is that it recovers in the next day or two and won't necessitate going on the injured list. The six-game homestand continues against the Cincinnati Reds, before heading out for a nine-game road trip beginning with the Baltimore Orioles. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 1-1, 1.01 ERA, 26 games, 18 saves (18 chances), 26⅔ IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 12 BB, 51 K, .132 opponent average Named NL Reliever of the Month for May, the third straight month he has reaped the honor. He has been a Padre for four months of the last two regular seasons. Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman is the only other Friar to win the award three times. Went 7-for-7 in save opportunities in May, striking out 20 over 9⅔ innings. With his lone strikeout Friday, he became the first Padres pitcher to strike out 50 within his first 100 batters of the season. Miller and Josh Hader are the only pitchers in MLB history to do this multiple times. Has allowed a run in two of his last five outings and in just three of his 26 appearances. Has not given up an extra-base hit in his last 46 appearances, the second-longest streak behind Alan Embree's 47. Random Stats From June 1, 2024, to June 1 this year (Monday), the Padres have the third-best record in MLB at 184-138 (.571). Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (.594) and Milwaukee Brewers (.593) have a better winning percentage. In his start Wednesday, Walker Buehler reached 97 mph on his four-seam fastball for the first time this season and averaged more than 95 mph on that pitch for the first time since June 2025. The six-game season sweep at the hands of the Phillies was the first of at least that length for the Friars since 2005, when the Phillies also took six games. Manny Machado's two-run homer Thursday was his 800th career extra-base hit, one of seven active players to reach that mark. Machado is slashing just .169/.254/.342 with 60 strikeouts in 62 games, a 23.3% strikeout rate. His career mark is 17.7%. He has walked 10.3%, up from his 8.3% career mark. Fernando Tatis Jr. walked and singled in five plate appearances Sunday. He has now reached base in 33 of his last 77 plate appearances, with multi-hit performances in seven of his last 13 games. The Padres had not lost any of their last four series vs. the Mets, winning three and splitting the other, before dropping this one. Transactions Monday: Signed free-agent RHP Jesus Heredia to a minor-league contract. Tuesday: Transferred RHP Nick Pivetta (right elbow inflammation) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Tuesday: Placed LF Ramón Laureano on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with right hip inflammation. Tuesday: Selected the contract of CF Jase Bowen from Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Designated RF Nick Castellanos for assignment. Wednesday: Selected the contract of IF-OF Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Signed free-agent OF Luis Sanchez to a minor-league contract. Friday: Transferred LF Ramón Laureano (right hip surgery) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Friday: Placed RHP Jeremiah Estrada on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Wednesday with right knee inflammation. Friday: Recalled RHP David Morgan from Triple-A El Paso. Friday: Activated RHP Jhony Brito from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso. Friday: Released RF Nick Castellanos. Website Highlights Padres finally untangle themselves from Castellanos — Steve Drumwright Inside the emotional breakthrough of Tatis' first homer of 2026 — Taylor Leonard France is a reminder that baseball isn't one size fits all — N.B. Lindberg Tatis is opening new avenues for Padres with his play at second base — Tom Gatto Fermin trade has been a disaster for the Padres — Steve Drumwright Looking Ahead Monday: Reds (Andrew Abbott) at Padres (Walker Buehler), 6:40 p.m. Tuesday: Reds (Chase Burns) at Padres (Lucas Giolito), 6:40 p.m. Wednesday: Reds (Brady Singer) at Padres (Michael King), 1:10 p.m. Thursday: Off Friday: Padres at Orioles (Griffin Canning), 4:05 p.m. Saturday: Padres at Orioles (Randy Vasquez), 1:05 p.m. Sunday: Padres at Orioles (Walker Buehler), 10:35 a.m. View full article

San Diego Padres affiliates took three of four Sunday, with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas rolling to an 11-5 win over Sugar Land, the Double-A San Antonio Missions bouncing Wichita 7-4, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps falling to Lake County 3-2 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm prevailing in 11 innings over Fresno 7-5. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas placed LHP Fernando Sanchez on the 7-day injured list. Lake Elsinore Storm activated 1B Luke Cantwell from the 7-day injured list. German Marquez Shines In Rehab Start As Chihuahuas Win Padres right-handed starter German Marquez was superb in his second rehab start with four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit, while Nick Solak and Nick Schnell each drove in three runs as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas poured it on late for an 11-5 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. The Chihuahuas (27-36) won the final two of this six-game series. Marquez, coming back from forearm nerve irritation that landed him on the 15-day injured list May 3, walked one and struck out two while throwing 47 pitches (28 strikes). He has allowed just two hits and no runs in 6⅓ innings. Marquez ran into a little trouble in the third inning. A leadoff walk was erased by a caught stealing, then he hit the next batter, who successfully stole second. A groundout moved the runner to third before Marquez struck out Cavan Biggio. Solak, who had three hits and scored three times, and Clay Dungan hit homers for the Chihuahuas. Carlos Rodriguez had a fifth-inning single to keep his hitting streak going at 14 games, matching Mason McCoy for the longest on the team this year. El Paso had an early 2-0 lead on sacrifice flies by Carlos Rodriguez and Schnell in the first and fourth innings, then saw Sugar Land go up 3-2 with a three-run fifth. In the bottom of the six, the Chihuahuas started to click with another sac fly, this one from Blake Hunt, before Dungan smacked his six homer of the season, a two-run shot to break the tie for a 5-3 lead. The Space Cowboys added a run in the top of the seventh, but the Chihuahuas came back with three more in the bottom half on Nate Mondou's RBI single and Schnell's two-run double and an 8-4 advantage. That scenario repeated itself in the eighth as the Space Cowboys got another run to pull within 8-5, then the Chihuahuas clawed back with three more in the bottom half as Solak lined an opposite-field three-run homer, his ninth of the year, that just cleared the wall. Solak has homered in seven of his last 14 games. Chihuahuas left-hander Jackson Wolf came on after Marquez exited and gave up all five runs in 3⅓ innings on eight hits and a walk while punching out four. Right-hander Alek Jacob earned his third save by striking out three in 1⅔ innings. EP_0607.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Mason McCoy 5 1 1 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 3 1 1 1 1 0 Nick Solak 5 3 3 3 0 0 Marcos Castañon 5 1 2 0 0 2 Will Wagner 5 1 2 0 0 1 Nate Mondou 4 1 1 1 0 2 Nick Schnell 3 1 2 3 0 0 Blake Hunt 2 0 0 1 1 2 Clay Dungan 3 2 2 2 1 1 Totals 35 11 14 11 3 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Germán Márquez 4 1 0 0 1 2 0 Jackson Wolf 3 1/3 8 5 5 1 4 1 Alek Jacob 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 9 10 5 5 2 9 1 Luis Verdugo Homers As Missions Finish Big Series Against Wichita Luis Verdugo hit his first homer in nearly a month as the Double-A San Antonio Missions scored six runs over the middle three innings for a 7-4 win over the host Wichita Wind Surge. The Missions (25-32) took five of six games in the series, including the final four. They allowed eight runs in the five wins. Carson Tucker, Ethan Salas, Braedon Karpathios, Kai Murphy and Kai Roberts each had two hits for the Missions, while Albert Fabian drove in two runs without a hit. Verdugo's homer was a two-run shot, his third of the season and first since May 12. He also homered in the April 2 season opener. Missions right-handed starter Ian Koenig, making his second start of the series, didn't have the same success as he did Tuesday, when he allowed just one hit and an unearned run with seven strikeouts over seven innings. This time, Koenig went four innings and gave up three runs on four hits with five walks and a pair of strikeouts. Left-hander Omar Cruz allowed a run in two innings, right-hander Francisco Pena had a hitless eighth and right-hander Josh Mallitz struck out four over two shutout innings for his second save of the year. Verdugo went deep in the fourth inning to put the Missions up 2-1, then Roberts, Tucker and Salas opened the fifth with consecutive singles to make it 3-1. A one-out wild pitch brought in another run and Fabian's groundout plated Salas for a 5-1 lead. In the sixth, after Wichita scored twice in the fifth, Verdugo walked, took second on a one-out wild pitch and scored on Murphy's single to right to go up 6-3. Wichita again countered with a run in the sixth. It stayed 6-4 until the ninth, when Salas had a leadoff single, stole second (his 12th of the year) and went to third on a wild pitch. After a popout, Fabian hit a sac fly to bring in Salas. SA_0607.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 5 1 2 0 0 1 Ethan Salas 5 2 2 1 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 1 0 0 2 Albert Fabian 4 0 0 2 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 4 1 2 0 1 1 Luis Verdugo 3 2 1 2 1 1 Francisco Acuna 3 0 0 0 1 0 Kai Murphy 4 0 2 1 0 1 Kai Roberts 3 1 2 0 0 1 Totals 36 7 12 6 3 7 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 4 4 3 3 5 2 1 Francis Peña 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Omar Cruz 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 Josh Mallitz 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Totals 9 6 4 4 6 9 2 Jake Cunningham Homers Again, But First-Inning Errors Sink TinCaps Jake Cunningham hit his fourth homer in three games, but it was a pair of unearned runs in the first inning that paved the way for the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps' 3-2 loss to the Lake County Captains. It was the TinCaps' fifth straight loss to conclude the six-game series in which Fort Wayne (24-33) gave up double-digit runs three times. Coming off a three-homer game Friday, tying a club record, Cunningham smashed a solo shot on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first for his team-leading 14th of the season. Cunningham's blast made it a 2-1 game after the Captains scored twice in the top of the first thanks to throwing errors by starting pitcher Jamie Hitt and third baseman Zach Evans on back-to-back bunts. Lake County added another run in the fourth on a triple and an RBI single. The TinCaps pulled within 3-2 in the sixth inning on consecutive singles by Justin DeCriscio and Rosman Verdugo to open the frame, a Cunningham walk to load the bases and Alex McCoy's sacrifice fly. Hitt was solid for four innings, allowing all three runs, but only one was earned. He walked two, struck out four and gave up four hits. Left-handers Javier Chacon and Braian Salazar each went two scoreless innings and right-hander Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, a perfect ninth. Chacon fanned three and Musgrove two, while that bullpen trio allowed just one hit. FW_0607.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 1 1 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Jake Cunningham 2 1 1 1 2 1 Alex McCoy 2 0 0 1 1 1 Kavares Tears 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jack Costello 4 0 0 0 0 1 Zach Evans 4 0 1 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares 3 0 0 0 1 1 Kasen Wells 4 0 1 0 0 2 Totals 31 2 5 2 4 11 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 4 4 3 1 2 4 0 Javier Chacon 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Braian Salazar 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals 9 5 3 1 3 9 0 Storm Notch 11-Inning Victory Over Grizzlies Conner Westenberg scored on a wild pitch and Jose Verdugo singled home another run in the top of the 11th as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm pulled out a 7-5 victory over the host Fresno Grizzlies. The win in the finale gave the Storm (33-24) a split of the six-game series. The Storm have a two-game lead over Rancho Cucamonga in the California League's South Division. Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, homered, scored twice and stole his minors-leading 37th base. Verdugo and Luke Cantwell, just activated off the seven-day injured list, had two hits apiece, while Jorge Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 6 prospect, drove in two runs and Kerrington Cross reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Storm right-handed starter Carlos Medina went 4⅓ innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts. After right-hander Nick Falter gave up a pair of runs on two hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in 2⅓ innings, the next four relievers allowed just one unearned run over the final 4⅓ innings. Fresno scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 4-4, both teams scored once in the 10th. Cantwell singled in Verdugo, who was the zombie runner and went to third on a passed ball. In the top of the 11th, Westenburg was the zombie runner and went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Cross walked with two outs, stole second and scored on Verdugo's single to left for a 7-5 lead. Storm right-hander Brandon Langley overcame a two-out walk to earn the save, the first of the year in his debut season. LE_0607.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 3 2 1 1 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio 2 0 1 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 1 1 1 2 2 Jose Verdugo 6 1 2 1 0 2 Luke Cantwell 5 0 2 1 0 1 Yimy Tovar 1 0 0 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 5 1 1 0 0 2 Bradley Frye 4 1 1 0 0 2 Jorge Quintana 5 0 1 2 0 1 Dylan Grego 3 0 0 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 2 1 0 0 0 0 Qrey Lott 5 0 0 0 0 3 Totals 45 7 10 6 2 14 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 4 1/3 5 2 2 1 3 0 Nick Falter 2 1/3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Carson Swilling 1/3 1 0 0 1 0 0 Sean Barnett 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Will Koger 2 3 1 0 1 3 0 Brandon Langley 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Totals 11 11 5 4 7 11 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 2-for-5 Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-3, HR, 1 K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-5, 1 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-4, 1 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: 0-for-2, 1 K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 K Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-4, 1 K Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article

San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-2 Saturday as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas dumped Sugar Land 11-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions edged Wichita 4-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to Lake County 7-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm watched an early lead evaporate in an 8-6 loss to Fresno. Padres Minor-League Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Jhony Brito. El Paso Chihuahuas sent RHP Daison Acosta on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Nate Mondou Drives In 4, Bullpen Overcomes Injury As Chihuahuas Roll Nate Mondou doubled twice and drove in four runs, while the bullpen stepped up with a huge game after an injury to right-handed starter Francisco Sanchez as the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas cruised to an 11-2 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Sanchez left after recording just two outs with an undisclosed injury. Mason McCoy, Nick Schnell and Blake Hunt each had three hits, with McCoy matching Mondou's pair of doubles. Hunt drove in two and scored twice, while Schnell scored three times and drove in a run and McCoy scored twice with an RBI. Nick Solak and Marcos Castanon each had a pair of hits. McCoy, Schnell, Hunt and Mondou were the bottom four in the order and reached base 15 out of 20 trips to the plate. Sanchez was injured when hit by a line drive off the bat of Joey Loperfido that deflected to Castanon at third base, who threw to first for the out. Right-hander Sean Boyle was the first of four relievers to come on. Boyle set the tone by striking out seven and allowing just two hits in 3⅓ shutout innings. He did walk three. Right-hander Miguel Cienfuegos followed with two perfect innings and four punchouts, with right-hander Ethan Routzahn allowing an unearned run in his one inning. Left-hander Kyle Hart covered the final two innings, giving up a run on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. The Chihuahuas had two big innings early. They scored four in the second inning when Hunt was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Mondou, the No. 9 hitter, cleared the bases with his first double. In the third, McCoy had an RBI double, Schnell a run-scoring single and Reyes a two-out RBI single for a 7-0 Chihuahuas advantage. They made it 9-0 in the fifth as Hunt and Mondou had back-to-back RBI doubles. EP_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 4 0 1 1 1 0 Clay Dungan 4 0 0 0 1 1 Nick Solak 5 1 2 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon 5 1 2 0 0 0 Will Wagner 5 1 0 1 0 3 Mason McCoy 4 2 3 1 1 0 Nick Schnell 4 3 3 1 1 1 Blake Hunt 4 2 3 2 0 1 Nate Mondou 4 1 2 4 1 2 Totals 39 11 16 11 5 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sean Boyle 3 1/3 2 0 0 3 7 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Kyle Hart 2 4 1 1 1 3 0 Totals 9 7 2 1 4 15 0 Jagger Haynes Shines, Offense Comes Through Late As Missions Win Left-handed starter Jagger Haynes threw 5⅔ strong innings, Albert Fabian's eighth-inning sacrifice fly broke a tie and Brendan Durfee homered in the ninth to provide insurance as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled out a 4-2 victory over the host Wichita Wind Surge. Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 11 prospect, allowed two runs on just three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. The Wind Surge only got one more hit the rest of the way. Braedon Karpathios was on base five times with two hits and three walks, scoring once and driving in a run, while Carson Tucker had three hits and scored twice out of the leadoff spot. Those two opened the game with singles, with Tucker going to third on Karpathios' hit and scoring on Romeo Sanabria's double-play grounder. Wichita scored in the bottom of the first and it stayed 1-1 until the Missions came up in the top of the sixth. It was again Tucker and Karpathios doing the damage as Tucker doubled to center and scored on Karpathios' single. In the bottom of the sixth, Haynes gave up a leadoff double and a one-out single before notching a strikeout to his final batter of the game. Right-hander Andrew Thurman came on and gave up a tying single. Karpathios led off the eighth with a walk, went to second on Sanabria's single and to third on Tirso Ornelas' groundout for first. Fabian followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right-center that snapped the tie for a 3-2 lead. Durfee provided some cushion with his first homer of the year with two outs in the ninth. Durfee was activated off the injured list, where he had been all season, Wednesday. Right-hander Sadrac Franco pitched a scoreless eighth and Andrew Moore struck out the side in the ninth, finishing with a 100 mph fastball for his first save of the season and sixth of his career. SA_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 5 2 3 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 2 1 2 1 3 0 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 1 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 3 0 1 1 0 0 Ryan Jackson 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo 3 0 1 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 0 2 Brendan Durfee 3 1 1 1 1 1 Totals 32 4 10 3 4 5 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 5 2/3 3 2 2 3 3 0 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Sadrac Franco 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Andrew Moore 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 9 4 2 2 4 9 0 Pair Of Homers Are Not Enough For TinCaps Rosman Verdugo and Zach Evans went deep, but the bullpen again couldn't keep it close as the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to the Lake County Captains 7-3. Lake County scored three runs over the last two innings. Verdugo was the lone TinCap with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 as Fort Wayne had six hits to the Captains' 13. Four of the TinCaps' hits came from the top three hitters in the order: Justin DeCrisco, Verdugo and Lamar King Jr. The other two came from the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Evans and Kasen Wells. TinCaps right-handed Abraham Parra went three innings, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts. Right-handers Kleiber Olmedo, Isaiah Lowe and Will Varmette each went two innings, with Lowe allowing a run in the seventh and Varmette three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Fort Wayne scored in the first as Alex McCoy had a sacrifice fly to bring in DeCriscio, then the Captains went up 3-1 with two in the second and one in the fifth. Verdugo homered leading off the bottom of the sixth, his ninth of the season before the Captains came right back with a run in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 lead. Evans hit his second homer of the season, a solo shot, with two outs in the seventh to pull the TinCaps within 4-3. Lake County created some breathing room with two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth. FW_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 4 1 1 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 4 1 2 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 1 Alex McCoy 2 0 0 1 0 0 Jake Cunningham 4 0 0 0 0 3 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 1 2 Zach Evans 3 1 1 1 0 0 Kasen Wells 3 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 31 3 6 3 1 9 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 3 5 2 2 4 2 0 Kleiber Olmedo 2 1 1 0 3 0 0 Isaiah Lowe 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 Will Varmette 2 6 3 3 2 2 1 Totals 9 13 7 6 11 6 1 Storm Blow Early 5-Run Lead, Fall To Grizzlies Yoiber Ocopio homered as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm jumped out to a 5-0 after three innings, but the host Fresno Grizzlies used a four-run fifth inning to surge to an 8-6 victory. Ocopio went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Bradley Frye had a hit and two walks with two RBIs and two runs scored. Right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 4⅓ innings. Right-hander Joseph Herrera followed with 1⅔ innings, giving up three runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout. Ocopio hit a two-run homer in the first inning before the Grizzlies countered with a run in the bottom of the first. In the third inning, Frye had a two-run triple to bring in Kerrington Cross and Ocopio, then scored on Dylan Grego's sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead. Fresno then put up a pair of runs in the fourth inning to make it 5-3 and took the lead with a four-run fifth inning and a 7-5 advantage. Qrey Lott would bring the Storm within 7-6 when a run came in as he hit into a double play in the sixth inning, but Fresno got that run back in the seventh. But that started a streak of 11 straight Storm batters retired to end the game. LE_0606.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kerrington Cross 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Verdugo 3 1 1 0 1 1 Yoiber Ocopio 4 2 2 2 0 0 Bradley Frye 2 2 1 2 2 0 Dylan Grego 3 0 1 1 0 0 Yimy Tovar 3 0 0 0 1 0 Qrey Lott 4 0 0 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 0 0 0 0 2 Totals 29 6 5 5 5 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt 4 1/3 7 4 4 2 3 0 Joseph Herrera 1 2/3 4 3 3 0 1 1 Vicarte Domingo 2 1 1 1 1 4 1 Totals 8 12 8 8 3 8 2 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: On injust list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-2, 3 BB Lamar King Jr.: 1-for-4, K Jagger Haynes: 5⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Alex McCoy: 0-for-2 Truitt Madonna: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 2-for-4, 2B, HR Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article

When the San Diego Padres acquired Freddy Fermin at last year's trade deadline, they were acquiring a 30-year-old backup catcher who had the potential to be a starter. To be clear: The Padres were desperate for an upgrade behind the plate. At the time, they were running with Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado as their catching tandem. They were pretty bad offensively and not much better defensively. Turns out that Maldonado, once a defensive whiz, was in his last MLB season. Diaz ended up signing a minor-league contract in the offseason with the Kansas City Royals, Fermin's former team. Fermin was supposed to be a stabilizer at catcher for not just the final couple months of the 2025 regular season as the Padres made a postseason push, but for at least 2026 and perhaps 2027 as the Friars awaited the development of top prospect Ethan Salas. What did it cost the Padres to acquire such a catcher from the Royals? Apparently a lot. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller sent not just one young pitcher to the Royals, but two right-handed starters. In hindsight, that seems like a lot when other teams were sending out a lower-level top-30 prospect to acquire a backup catcher like the Milwaukee Brewers did when they picked up Danny Jansen at the trade deadline. Alas, the Padres sent right-handers Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert to the Royals. Kolek was 28 at the time and had made 14 starts for the Padres to decent results (4.28 FIP, 4.18 ERA, 7.7% walk rate, 16.7% strikeout rate), while Bergert was 25 years old and had made his MLB debut that year, starting seven of his 11 games and showing promise (4.28 FIP, 2.54 ERA, 12.1% walk rate, 22.8% strikeout rate). Kolek had been a Rule 5 selection whom the Padres used in a relief role as he made his MLB debut in 2024, while Bergert had been the Padres' No. 7 prospect at the time of the deal. Perhaps Preller didn't see an MLB future for either Kolek or Bergert like the Royals did, with Kolek in particular. After injuries prompted a call-up, Kolek has made five starts for the Royals and posted a 4.22 FIP (3.48 ERA). His highlight was a four-hit shutout of the Seattle Mariners on May 23. Bergert, who like Kolek saw time with the Royals after the trade, is out for the season after undergoing reconstruction surgery on his right UCL. He made just three starts at Triple-A before being hurt. That leads us to Fermin. Known as a good defender with a bit of potential with the bat, Fermin has managed to produce a meager .130/.233/.170 slash line through 43 games. For reference, Diaz and Maldonado both finished 2025 with a .204 average with the Padres. Fermin's defense has been good, ranking in between the 81st and 89th percentile in blocks above average (83rd), caught stealing (81st) above average and pop time (89th). Fermin's offense is the bigger concern, though. In four seasons with the Royals as Salvador Perez's backup, Fermin had a .268/.314/.383 slash line. Not fantastic, but acceptable for a catcher in today's day and age. He did play more than 100 games each of the last two seasons, so you can't exactly blame it on the workload. New manager Craig Stammen has done a nice job of splitting the catching duties, with Fermin usually getting three of the five starts each turn through the rotation. That left the other two for Luis Campusano, whose bat has always been his better attribute over his glove. No longer having to deal with Mike Shildt, who left as manager after last season, Campusano has flourished offensively, putting up a .288/.362/.596 slash line with three homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games. But a broken left big toe nearly a month ago has kept Campusano sidelined. That opened the door for 11-year minor-league veteran Rodolfo Duran to take over as the No. 2 catcher. Other than hitting a homer for his first MLB hit, Duran has done very little offensively. In fact, he has just two hits in 13 games for a .087/.250/.217 slash line. But Duran has drawn rave reviews from Stammen and the pitchers for his defensive work. Fermin's offensive woes have led to speculation that Duran should be kept over Fermin when Campusano returns. That's probably a step too far, but the fact that these conversations are taking place, with Stammen being asked about retaining Duran, says a lot about where Fermin is and how much of a disaster that trade has been. The Padres would certainly love to have had Kolek and Bergert in camp this spring instead of possibly banking on MLB veteran Marco Gonzales, coming off left flexor tendon surgery that caused him to miss all of 2025, to be in line for major-league innings. Unfortunately, Gonzales has struggled mightily at the Triple-A level and likely won't be a given a chance in the bigs. It's a painful truth in a season in which MLB-caliber starters have been hard to come by, but the Fermin trade is partly responsible for the Padres' woes on both sides of the ball. View full article

The San Diego Padres' affiliates went 2-2 on Friday. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas dropped a 9-6 decision to Sugar Land, while the Double-A San Antonio Missions blanked Wichita 2-0, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to Lake County 11-8 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled past Fresno 9-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions Padres recalled RHP David Morgan from El Paso Chihuahuas. Padres activated RHP Jhony Brito from the 60-day IL and optioned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas Can't Keep Pace With Space Cowboys In a game in which all the scoring happened in the first five innings, the host Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas didn't have enough to overcome the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, who won 9-6. Nick Schnell and Carlos Rodriguez each had two RBIs, while Nick Solak and Clay Dungan each had a pair of hits for the Chihuahuas. Each team scored three times in the third inning, with Schnell squeezing home Will Wagner and Rodriguez drove in a pair with a single. Sugar Land put up a run in the third and three in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 9-3 advantage. Solak led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, then Castanon drove him in with a double. Two outs later, Dungan singled him home, then stole second and scored on Schnell's double. Chihuahuas left-handed starter JP Sears was tagged for seven runs in 3⅔ innings, giving up seven hits and two runs while fanning five. Right-hander Ty Adcock gave up the other two runs while only getting one out. But right-handers Garrett Hawkins (1⅔ innings), Alek Jacob (one inning) and Logan Gillaspie (two innings) didn't allow a hit the rest of the way. EP_0605.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Pablo Reyes 3 0 1 0 2 1 Carlos Rodríguez 5 0 1 2 0 1 Nick Solak 5 1 2 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 5 1 1 1 0 1 Will Wagner 3 1 0 0 2 1 Mason McCoy 5 0 0 0 0 2 Clay Dungan 4 2 2 1 1 0 Nick Schnell 3 1 1 2 1 0 Anthony Vilar 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR JP Sears 3 2/3 7 7 7 2 5 1 Michael Flynn 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ty Adcock 1/3 1 2 2 3 1 1 Garrett Hawkins 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 1 0 Alek Jacob 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Logan Gillaspie 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Miguel Mendez Spearheads Missions' 3-Hit Shutout Right-handed starter Miguel Mendez and two relievers combined on a three-hit shutout as the Double-A San Antonio Missions edged the host Wichita Wind Surge 2-0. Mendez, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, allowed two hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts over those five innings, lowering his ERA to 3.90. He faced the minimum through four innings, but allowed a baserunner each of the first three. In the first, the leadoff hitter tried stretching a single into a double, but right fielder Braedon Karpathios threw him out. In the second, a leadoff walk was erased when the next batter hit into a double play. In the third, a one-out double by Jose Salas, Ethan Salas' brother, was eliminated when Mendez picked him off second. Mendez, who went three scoreless innings in his previous start, then retired the side in order in the fourth. Right-hander Eric Yost struck out two in two hitless innings, but he did walk five while matching his season best for innings. Right-hander Johan Moreno finished off the shutout with two innings and three punchouts. It was the third shutout for the Missions this year. Karpathios and Francisco Acuna each had a pair of hits, while Romeo Sanabria drove in one run and a balk brought in another. That came in the fourth inning when Tirso Ornelas doubled, Karpathios singled him to third and, after Karpathios stole second, a balk brought in Ornelas. It stayed 1-0 until the eighth. Carson Tucker drew a leadoff walk, stole second and went to third on an Ethan Salas groundout before Sanabria grounded an RBI single up the middle for a 2-0 lead. SA_0605.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 3 1 1 0 2 2 Ethan Salas 5 0 0 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 1 1 0 1 Kai Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 0 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 4 0 2 0 0 1 Ryan Jackson 4 0 1 0 0 2 Francisco Acuna 3 0 2 0 1 0 Albert Fabian 3 0 1 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Mendez 5 2 0 0 2 4 0 Eric Yost 2 0 0 0 5 2 0 Johan Moreno 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Jake Cunningham Blasts 3 Homers, But TinCaps Let Lead Slip Away Jake Cunningham had a three-homer game and drove in six, but for the second night in a row, the host High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps' bullpen couldn't protect a lead, giving up eight runs over the final three innings in an 11-8 loss to the Lake County Captains. Cunningham is the fourth player in TinCaps history to hit three homers in a single game. TinCaps left-handed starter Kash Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, had a solid five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. This came after he only got two outs and allowed six runs last week against South Bend. Cunningham hit a three-run homer in the first inning, a two-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth for his third multi-homer game of the year. He took over sole possession of the team lead with 13 homers and moved into second place in the Midwest League. Justin DeCriscio also had three hits, all singles, with an RBI and a run scored, while Kavares Tears Cunningham's solo homer put the TinCaps up 6-2, but the Captains scored three in the seventh, four in the eighth to take the lead and another in the ninth. Cunningham had a chance at a fourth homer in the ninth inning. Kasen Wells was hit by a pitch with one out and went to third on DeCriscio's single. Rosman Verdugo singled home Wells to pull within 11-8. After a flyout, Cunningham came up with a chance to make it a one-run game, but he popped out to the first baseman to end the game. TinCaps right-hander Clay Edmondson, who had given up four earned runs all season in 22 innings, was touched for three runs in the eighth and ninth while getting just two outs. He leads the minors with 10 saves and had a 0.41 ERA entering the game, which rose to 1.59. FW_0605.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 1 3 1 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 4 1 1 1 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 1 1 0 1 0 Jake Cunningham 5 3 3 6 0 1 Jack Costello 4 0 1 0 0 1 Kavares Tears 4 0 0 0 0 3 Zach Evans 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jonathan Vastine 3 1 1 0 0 2 Lamar King Jr. 1 0 0 0 0 1 Kasen Wells 3 1 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kash Mayfield 5 7 3 3 2 4 3 Ryan Och 1 1/3 2 3 1 1 0 0 Jeferson Villabona 2/3 0 0 0 2 0 0 Igor Gil 2/3 1 2 2 1 1 0 Clay Edmondson 2/3 3 3 3 2 0 2 C.J. Widger 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top Of The Order, 7-Run Fifth Fuel Storm Triumph Ryan Wideman, Kerrington Cross and Luis Verdugo, the top three hitters in the lineup, combined for seven hits and six RBIs as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm used a seven-run fifth inning to topple the host Fresno Grizzlies 9-4. Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Cross and Verdugo each went 2-for-4 with a homer, a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Both homers scored Wideman. Yoiber Ocopio, hitting cleanup, and Jorge Quintana each added two hits, while Dylan Grego drove in two runs. Verdugo hit a two-run homer in the third for a 2-1 lead, then the Storm opened it up in the fifth with seven runs. Cross hit a two-run homer, another run scored on Quintana's infield single and a throwing error, Grego had a two-run double and Wideman capped the outburst by tripling home a pair of runs. Storm left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect, allowed just one run on four hits with no walks and three punchouts. The five innings were a career high for Schoolcraft, who didn't allow a walk for the first time in his 10 starts this year. LE_0605.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 5 2 3 2 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 1 2 2 1 1 Jose Verdugo 4 1 2 2 1 1 Yoiber Ocopio 5 0 2 0 0 1 Truitt Madonna 5 1 1 0 0 1 George Bilecki 3 1 1 0 1 0 Qrey Lott 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 5 1 2 0 0 1 Dylan Grego 3 1 1 2 1 0 Bradley Frye 0 0 0 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 3 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 5 4 1 1 0 3 0 Cal Riehl 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Rordy Mejia 2 2 2 0 0 2 0 Carson Swilling 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 0-for-5 Kash Mayfield: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 HR Miguel Mendez: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Kruz Schoolcraft: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Ryan Wideman: 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI Jorge Quintana: 2-for-5, K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-4, K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-1, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Alex McCoy: DNP Truitt Madonna: 1-for-5, K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1⅔ IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Michael Salina: DNP Eric Yost: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 2 K Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-4, RBI, BB Bryan Balzer: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP View full article