Steve Drumwright

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

Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 3-3 Runs scored last week: 25 Runs allowed last week: 26 Scores Game 4 (Monday): Giants 3, Padres 2 Game 5 (Tuesday): Giants 9, Padres 3 Game 6 (Wednesday): Padres 7, Giants 1 Game 7 (Friday): Red Sox 5, Padres 2 Game 8 (Saturday): Padres 3, Red Sox 2 Game 9 (Sunday): Padres 8, Red Sox 6 Padres Standings Random Stats For the first time in club history, the Padres sold out their first six home games, ranging from the Opening Day crowd of 45,673 to the homestand finale of 41,891. Nick Castellanos' first double of the season, a double in the seventh inning on Tuesday, was the 400th of his career. Castellanos is one of three active players with 400 doubles, 40 triples, and 250 homers, joining Jose Ramirez and Andrew McCutchen. Right-handed reliever David Morgan extended his streak of not allowing an earned run to 16 consecutive appearances at Petco Park. That streak, which covers 17⅔ innings, was a shutout streak until he allowed an unearned run Tuesday. The run dates back to July 12. German Marquez made his first start for the Padres at Petco Park, the same venue he made his MLB debut as a Colorado Rockies reliever on Sept. 21, 2016. Luis Campusano's double off the Green Monster on Friday was his first hit in the majors since 2024, snapping a 0-for-35 streak, the longest active streak in MLB. Mason Miller has not allowed a run in his last 25⅔ innings, the longest active streak in MLB. Miller has struck out 11 of the 15 batters he has faced this year. Transactions None. The Padres have not made an in-season move affecting the MLB roster since setting their Opening Day roster. Website Highlights Laureano's scorching-hot start puts pressure on other Padres stars — Andy Johnson The Padres and ABS: How has San Diego done in the early stages of the new system? — Steve Drumwright Vasquez's 2026 debut laid the foundation for a much-needed breakout — Randy Holt One takeaway from each game during the Padres' slow start on offense — Tom Gatto Buehler's 2026 Padres debut looked concerningly like 2025 — Brandon Glick The science of Mr. Padre: The impossible standard of Tony Gwynn — Ben Walker Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (German Marquez) at Pirates (Bubba Chandler), 3:40 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Nick Pivetta) at Pirates (Paul Skenes), 3:40 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Michael King) at Pirates (Mitch Keller), 9:35 a.m. Thursday: Rockies at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 6:40 p.m. Friday: Rockies at Padres (Walker Buehler), 6:40 p.m. Saturday: Rockies at Padres (German Marquez), 5:40 p.m. Sunday: Rockies at Padres (Nick Pivetta), 1:10 p.m. View full article

On a veteran-laden team such as the San Diego Padres, it might be tough to figure out when it is appropriate to challenge a call under MLB's new automated ball-strike system. But the Friars have a bit of a secret weapon. That would be catcher Luis Campusano, who played most all of last season at Triple-A, which had ABS. So, he was comfortable with the system and was the most experienced player on the Padres' Opening Day roster with it. He was a source of wisdom on best practices—situational awareness, counts, no-doubters—on when to tap the helmet and ask for a video replay of the pitch to see whether is was a ball or a strike. Through their first six games, the Padres have neither been great nor horrible with the challenges they have requested. Friars hitters are 2-for-4, while the catchers are 4-for-7. But maybe the Padres should be challenging a bit more. First-year manager Craig Stammen said during the season-opening homestand that he would prefer not to finish the game with any challenges remaining. Two games in particular stand out in that regard: Opening Day and the series finale vs. the San Francisco Giants. The Padres didn't have a single challenge in the opener, perhaps a nod to Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, the winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards; likewise, they had just one in that Giants game. Digging into some of the metrics on Statcast, the Padres have an offensive challenge rate of 3.4%, which ranks 17th in MLB, and an expected challenge rate of 5.7%, which ranks fourth. Hence Stammen's prompt of trying to get his hitters to be more aggressive with the challenges. As of this writing, the Minnesota Twins led MLB with 12 offensive challenges, winning nine times, and a whopping 10.2% challenge rate. Superstar third baseman Manny Machado and second baseman Jake Cronenworth each turned a called strike into a ball, while superstar right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and shortstop Xander Bogaerts each unsuccessfully challenged a called third strike. Defensively (catchers and pitchers), the Friars rank eighth at 2.1% in challenge rate and 15th in expected challenges at 2.1%. So, the catchers are doing what they should be doing, but also nothing more. The Twins and Chicago White Sox have an MLB-best 10 defensive challenges, with the Minnesota successful seven times and the White Sox just four. Campusano has been responsible for flipping a walk by getting a strike on a challenge and also flipping a ball into a strikeout. No. 1 catcher Freddy Fermin has yet to do either. But Fermin has gone 2-for-3 in challenges to Campusano's 2-for-4. Campusano challenged three times in his first start, successful on his first two before missing. Let's review how the Padres' 11 challenges in their first six games of the 2026 season unfolded: Challenge 1: March 27 Scenario: Top of the third inning, game tied 0-0, runner on second, two outs, 1-1 count. The call: Padres starter Michael King's 81.5 mph sweeper to the Tigers' Gleyber Torres was called a ball, low. Result: Padres catcher Luis Campusano challenged and ABS showed half of the ball was in the zone, shifting the count from 2-1 to 1-2. Torres struck out swinging on the next pitch. Challenge 2: March 27 Scenario: Top of the fourth, game tied 0-0, bases empty, two outs, 3-1 count. The call: King's 93.6 mph four-seamer to the Tigers' Spencer Torkelson was called a ball, on the lower outside corner. Result: Campusano challenged and the pitch was shown to have just clipped the bottom of the zone, erasing a walk and turning the count to 3-2. Torkelson struck out swinging on the next pitch. Challenge 3: March 27 Scenario: Top of the ninth, Tigers lead 5-2, bases empty, one out, 3-2 count. The call: Padres reliever David Morgan's 81.1 mph curveball to the Tigers' Kerry Carpenter was called a ball, low. Result: Campusano challenged and the pitch was shown to be less than 0.1 of an inch below the zone, confirming ball four and the walk. Challenge 4: March 28 Scenario: Bottom of the sixth, Padres lead 3-0, runners on first and second, two outs, 2-2 count. The call: Tigers reliever Connor Seabold's 96.1 mph four-seamer to the Padres' Jake Cronenworth was called a strike, at the bottom of the zone. Result: Cronenworth challenged and the pitch was 2.2 inches below the zone, reversing a strikeout and making the count 3-2. Two pitches later, Cronenworth grounded out to shortstop. Challenge 5: March 28 Scenario: Bottom of the seventh, Padres lead 3-0, bases empty, no outs, 2-2 count. The call: Seabold's 94.3 mph four-seamer to the Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. was called a strike, at the bottom of the zone, for a strikeout. Result: Tatis challenged and the pitch barely clipped the bottom of the zone, confirming the strikeout. Challenge 6: March 28 Scenario: Top of the ninth, Padres lead 3-0, runner on first, two outs, 0-1 count. The call: Padres closer Mason Miller's 86.9 mph slider to the Tigers' Kevin McGonigle was called a ball, high. Result: Padres catcher Freddy Fermin challenged the most of the pitch was shown to have hit the top of the zone near the outside corner, changing the count from 1-1 to 0-2. McGonigle struck out swinging to end the game on the next pitch. Challenge 7: Monday Scenario: Top of the third, Giants lead 1-0, runner on first, one out, 1-0 count. The call: Padres starter Walker Buehler's 76 mph knuckle curve to the Giants' Willy Adames was called a ball, low. Result: Campusano challenged and the pitch was confirmed a ball, 1.4 inches below the zone, keeping the count at 2-0. Four pitches later, Adames struck out looking, a call that was upheld after Adames challenged. Challenge 8: Monday Scenario: Bottom of the fourth, Giants lead 3-0, runner on first, no outs, 1-0 count. The call: Giants starter Landen Roupp's 91.8 mph sinker to the Padres' Manny Machado was called a strike, on the inside corner. Result: Machado challenged and the pitch was overturned to a ball, shifting the count from 1-1 to 2-0. Two pitches later, Machado grounded out to Roupp. Challenge 9: Tuesday Scenario: Top of the third, Giants lead 4-0, runner on first, two outs, 0-2 count. The call: Giants starter German Marquez's 86.1 mph knuckle curve to the Giants' Casey Schmitt was called a ball, just high and outside. Result: Campusano challenged and the pitch just clipped the outside corner, striking out Schmitt instead of a 1-2 count. Challenge 10: Tuesday Scenario: Bottom of the eighth, Giants lead 8-3, bases empty, two outs, 1-2 count. The call: Padres reliever JT Brubaker's 81.8 mph curveball to the Padres' Xander Bogaerts was called a strike at the top of the zone for a strikeout. Result: Bogaerts challenged and the strikeout was confirmed to end the inning. Challenge 11: Wednesday Scenario: Top of the third, Padres lead 1-0, bases empty, two outs, 0-1 count. The call: Padres starter Nick Pivetta's 95 mph four-seamer to the Giants' Rafael Devers was called a ball, high. Result: Fermin challenged and the pitch was confirmed a ball, 1 inch above the zone, keeping the count at 1-1. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Devers struck out swinging. Summary The Padres haven't exactly been shy about challenging calls, but they're also not approaching this system with reckless abandon, either. This is a veteran ballclub with a lot of players getting grandfathered into a new era of technology, so perhaps it's not too surprising to see some hesitancy from the stalwarts. Expect this team to get more aggressive as they become more comfortable with ABS. View full article

As the San Diego Padres try to replenish their farm system, the Friars will have the 21st-most money in their draft bonus pool for 2026. MLB informed clubs of the slot values and bonus pools for this year's draft, which is July 11-12. For the Padres, whose prospect list has gone down in overall quality due to a variety of trades in recent years, that means having a bonus pool of $9,479,000. The bonus pool for each team covers the first 10 rounds. In 2025, the Friars' bonus pool was $6,569,100. The Padres have the No. 21 pick in the first round after having No. 25 each of the last two years, when they selected left-handed starters Kash Mayfield in 2024 and Kruz Schoolcraft in 2025. The slot value for this year's 21st pick is $4,224,700. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the largest bonus pool at $19,130,700, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have the smallest at $3,951,900. The Dodgers were one of four teams that had their top pick moved back 10 spots as a penalty for surpassing the second threshold in the competitive balance tax. The Chicago White Sox hold the No. 1 pick, with a slot value of $11,350,600, and the No. 3 bonus pool of $17,592,100. Each slot value went up 2.5% based on increased MLB revenue. 2026 MLB Draft bonus pools Pittsburgh Pirates: $19,130,700 Tampa Bay Rays: $19,009,300 Chicago White Sox: $17,592,100 Minnesota Twins: $16,929,600 St. Louis Cardinals: $16,612,300 Kansas City Royals: $15,954,000 Atlanta: $15,870,800 Colorado Rockies: $15,557,600 San Francisco Giants: $14,080,400 Athletics: $13,840,300 Houston Astros: $13,712,700 Arizona Diamondbacks: $13,603,100 Baltimore Orioles: $13,114,000 Cleveland Guardians: $12,573,900 Washington Nationals: $12,278,300 Miami Marlins: $11,960,100 Los Angeles Angels: $11,755,400 Cincinnati Reds: $10,758,500 Texas Rangers: $10,219,200 Chicago Cubs: $9,644,100 San Diego Padres: $9,479,000 Detroit Tigers: $9,165,100 Boston Red Sox: $8,219,200 Seattle Mariners: $8,218,200 Milwaukee Brewers: $8,042,900 Philadelphia Phillies: $7,773,000 New York Yankees: $7,342,800 New York Mets: $6,730,900 Toronto Blue Jays: $5,543,100 Los Angeles Dodgers: $3,951,900 View full rumor

If you like prospects, more specifically San Diego Padres prospects, Lake Elsinore will be the place to be this summer. The Storm, a member of the Low-A California League, will sport seven of Padres Mission's top 20 prospects to begin the season. Lake Elsinore begins its season Thursday against the Ontario Tower Buzzers, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. Three of the Padres' four farm teams opened against Dodgers affiliates. Ontario is a new entry in the Cal League after the Modesto Nuts moved to San Bernardino and set off an affiliate shuffle. Left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft leads the Storm's prospect parade. He was the Padres' first-round draft choice last year. Outfielder Ryan Wideman, at No. 9, and corner infielder Kale Fountain, at No. 10, are other top-10 prospects on the Lake Elsinore active roster. Of note, two-way player Sean Barnett's transaction page shows him being assigned to the Storm, but he does not appear on the roster. Ethan Long, a 2023 undrafted free agent, had previously been a first baseman, but is listed on the roster as a right-handed pitcher. Pitcher (14) Bryan Balzer, RHP Javier Chacon, LHP Winyer Chourio, RHP Nick Falter, RHP Joseph Herrera, LHP Jamie Hitt, LHP Landry Jurecka, RHP Brandon Langley, RHP Ethan Long, RHP Carlos Medina, RHP Rordy Mejia, RHP Daichi Moriki, RHP Tyler Schmitt, RHP Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP (Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect) Catcher (2) Ty Harvey (No. 8 prospect) Truitt Madonna (No. 17 prospect) Infield (8) Luke Cantwell Kerrington Cross Justin DeCriscio Victor Duarte Kale Fountain (No. 10 prospect) Bradley Frye Jorge Quintana (No. 12 prospect) Jose Verdugo Outfield (3) George Bilecki Conner Westenburg Ryan Wideman (No. 9 prospect) Other (3) RHP Humberto Cruz, restricted list (No. 6 prospect) LHP Matt Lachappa, 60-day injured list RHP Mario Zabala, 60-day injured list View full rumor

After watching closer Mason Miller finish off the Detroit Tigers and secure the San Diego Padres' first win of the season, I saw the following post on social media from Michael Baumann, who writes for FanGraphs: How Teams Beat Unbeatable Padres Closer Mason Miller May 23 vs. Philadelphia Phillies Facing a pretty good Phillies team, 32-18 entering the game, in the not-so-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park, Miller, who hadn't pitched since May 17, opened the top of the ninth with the A's down 1-0, facing the 5-6-7 hitters. J.T. Realmuto battled Miller for nine pitches before hitting a 101..3 mph four-seamer for a slow chopper that he beat out for a single. But shortstop Jacob Wilson's throw was also off the mark and went for a two-base error, putting Realmuto at third. Alec Bohm then hit a 101.1 mph four-seamer for a double to center field, scoring Realmuto to make it 2-0. Edmundo Sosa grounded a slider to first base, moving Bohm to third with one out. Brandon Marsh struck out on five pitches, the last two strikes swinging and missing at sliders. With two outs, Johan Rojas flared an 0-1 slider for an opposite-field single, scoring Bohm for a 3-0 Phillies lead. That brought up the top of the Phillies order in Trea Turner. Rojas stole second. Miller quickly got out in front of Turner at 0-2 before missing with his put-away slider for ball one. Two more fouls followed before another slider was very inside, putting the count at 2-2. The next pitch was another slider, but middle-in and Turner laced it to center for an RBI single and a 4-0 Phillies lead. Miller was yanked after 27 pitches. The poor outing hurt more as the A's scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth before falling 4-3. May 24 vs. Philadelphia Phillies Getting another shot vs. the Phillies the next day, Miller came on for the ninth, protecting a 4-3 A's lead. This time, he was facing the 8-9-1 hitters in Marsh, Max Kepler, and Trea Turner. Marsh again struck out on five pitches as he did the day before. Hitting .229 entering the game, Kepler ambushed a first-pitch four-seamer, sending the 101.4 offering deep to right field for his sixth homer of the season and tying the game 4-4. Miller bounced by by striking out Turner on five pitches, but then yielded a first-pitch single to Bryce Harper on a changeup. The patient Kyler Schwarber drew a five-pitch walk to put runners on first and second before Miller struck out future Padres teammate Nick Castellanos on four pitches to end the threat. June 13 vs. Kansas City Royals Miller had been off for four days after making three appearances in four games. This time, it wasn't a save situation, as the A's had a comfortable 6-1 lead entering the ninth inning. The bullpen was rested, as the A's had the previous day off and used only two relievers in their last game. So, this was simply an outing to get work in. Due up were the 5-6-7 hitters. Salvador Perez led off with a six-pitch walk that featured five four-seamers. That brought up rookie slugger Jac Caglianone, who isn't exactly a patient hitter (7.8% walk rate in 2025). Yet he also walked on six pitches, all but one a four-seamer. Little-used Nic Loftin followed by lacing an 0-1 four-seamer for a liner to left-center that skipped past left fielder Tyler Soderstrom for a two-run triple, his second three-bagger in as many nights. John Rave made it a 6-4 game with a sacrifice fly, before Miller struck out Kyle Isbel on four pitches and Drew Waters popped out on the first pitch to end the game. June 19 vs. Houston Astros Less than a week later and two more appearances under his belt, Miller was called upon to put out a fire with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, clinging to a 4-1 lead. Runners were on first and second when Miller replaced J.T. Ginn and No. 8 hitter Victor Caratini due up. The switch-hitting Caratini, after going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts against left-handed starter Jacob Lopez, was aggressive and launched a first-pitch four-seamer that was down but in the middle of the plate for a game-tying three-run homer. Miller's four-seamer was down in velocity at 98.4 mph. He then struck out Mauricio Dubon on seven pitches to end the eighth. In the top of the ninth, Jeremy Pena led off with a single before Miller, relying more on his slider in this appearance, got the next three hitters—Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz—to pop out. The A's would win 6-4 in 10 innings. Aug. 5 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks In the only one of his 22 appearances with the Padres in which Miller allowed a run, he came into the game in the bottom of the eighth inning in his new role as a setup man. The Friars had a 5-3 lead and the top of the Diamondbacks' order was due up. Corbin Carroll lined out to right on the first pitch, then Ketel Marte struck out on five pitches, four of which were sliders. Geraldo Perdomo saw all four-seamers in a five-pitch walk to bring up Lourdes Guerriel Jr. He took a first-pitch ball and a second-pitch strike before fouling off four straight pitches. On the seventh pitch, the fifth four-seamer of the at-bat, a 103.9 mph offering, Gurriel launched a 439-foot game-tying homer. Miller struck out the next batter and the Padres scored five runs in the top of the 11th to win 10-5. Conclusion Is there a common theme in these outings? There doesn't seem to be. Two of the three homers Miller gave up were first-pitch four-seamers, both in different locations. Two of these five outings saw him give up runs in the eighth inning, once in a fireman's role in which he would get four outs and the other in his second game in a Padres uniform as he got used to a new role. If anything, His pitch usage is fairly similar between right-handed batters and left-handed batters. Against righties in 2025, he used his four-seamer 51% of the time and his slider 48% with an occasional changeup. Against lefties, his four-seamer use was 53%, his slider at 42%, and his changeup up to 5%. Miller's four-seamer lights up the radar guns, but doesn't move much differently from other four-seamers. But his slider has significantly more break (4.2 inches) and drop (3.3 inches). Perhaps relying more on the slider would erase the few negative outings that Miller does turn in each season, but weird things are bound to happen in frequent one-inning samples. Frankly, it's amazing that Miller is so adverse to blowup outings, which tend to sink most other reliever's stats. Miller is as good as any other closer in MLB, perhaps the best. In a long line of elite door slammers, he may emerge as one of the Padres' all-time greats. View full article