Steve Drumwright

El Paso erased a six-run deficit and beat Tacoma 11-10, as Pablo Reyes launched two home runs and Mason McCoy delivered the eighth-inning, go-ahead single. Fernando Sanchez struck out eight over five scoreless innings for San Antonio in a Missions loss. Fort Wayne split its doubleheader, with Matt Watson and Isaiah Lowe combining to shut out Beloit and Zach Evans driving in three. Lake Elsinore fell 3-2 despite Jesus A. Castro's seven strikeouts. Padres Transactions El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Justin Yeager from the Development List. Chihuahuas Erupt For 7-Run Fourth, Score Twice In Eighth For Win Pablo Reyes drilled a pair of homers and Mason McCoy snapped an eighth-inning tie with a go-ahead single as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas used a seven-run fourth inning for an 11-10 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers. McCoy capped a three-hit day with two outs in the eighth by grounding an RBI single to left to score Rodolfo Duran, who had just doubled in Clay Dungan with the tying run. Tacoma had taken a 10-9 lead in the top of the eighth. McCoy has a career-high 14-game hitting streak. EP1_0506.mp4 Samad Taylor had a homer and a Little League homer, while Jose Miranda also homered for the Chihuahuas, who have won six of eight games vs. the Rainiers this year. Tacoma jumped out to a 6-2 lead when the Chihuahuas came up in the bottom of the fourth. McCoy had a leadoff double and Miranda belted his fourth homer of the season to pull El Paso within 6-4. Marcos Castanon, Carlos Rodriguez singled and Taylor laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into a Little League homer when the first baseman threw the ball into right field, scoring all three and putting the Chihuahuas up 7-6. Will Wagner walked and Reyes greeted the new reliever by drilling the second pitch for an opposite-field homer to right to make it 9-6. It was Reyes' fifth homer of the season and extended his on-base streak to all 24 games he has played this year. Reyes also hit a homer Tuesday, giving him three in two games. But the Rainiers tied it with a three-run fifth inning. Chihuahuas left-handed starter Marco Gonzales lasted just three innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Triston McKenzie followed by allowing three runs on two hits and four walks and three strikeouts in 1⅓ innings. EP2_0506.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Samad Taylor 4 2 2 1 0 1 Will Wagner 2 1 1 0 3 0 Clay Dungan 0 1 0 0 0 0 Pablo Reyes 5 2 2 3 0 0 Nick Solak 4 0 0 0 1 1 Rodolfo Durán 5 1 1 1 0 0 Mason McCoy 5 1 3 1 0 1 Jose Miranda 5 1 1 2 0 1 Marcos Castañon 2 1 1 0 2 0 Carlos Rodríguez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Marco Gonzales 3 5 6 3 2 3 1 Triston McKenzie 1 1/3 2 3 3 4 3 1 Justin Yeager 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 1 0 Misael Tamarez 2 2 1 1 0 0 1 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Fernando Sanchez's 8 K's Wasted As Missions Fall To RockHounds Left-handed starter Fernando Sanchez was sterling in five shutout innings, striking out eight, but the bullpen imploded by allowing a pair of four-run innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped an 8-3 decision to the Midland RockHounds. Carson Tucker went 3-for-4, while Kai Roberts and Romeo Sanabria—the top two hitters in the lineup—each had two hits and Francisco Acuna drove in a pair of runs. Sanchez went a season-high five innings while making his third straight start and five relief appearances. He allowed three hits with three walks and the season-high eight strikeouts. Sanchez has two six-strikeout games, one in relief and another in his previous start. He has allowed eight hits in 12⅓ innings as a starter with 18 strikeouts. The Missions took a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings. Sanabria doubled home Roberts, who had singled and stole second, to begin the bottom of the first. In the second, Tucker and Acuna had back-to-back doubles for a 2-0 lead. Ryan Jackson and Albert Fabian drew one-out walks in the fourth and Tucker singled to load the bases. Acuna made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. After Sanchez left, left-handed reliever Harry Gustin gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning in the seventh as Midland took a 4-3 and right-handed reliever Sadrac Franco coughed up another four in the top of the ninth. SA_0506.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kai Roberts 5 1 2 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 2 1 1 0 Leandro Cedeño 3 0 0 0 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 0 0 0 1 Ryan Jackson 2 1 0 0 2 0 Albert Fabian 3 0 0 0 1 0 Carson Tucker 4 1 3 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna 2 0 1 2 1 0 Chris Sargent 3 0 0 0 0 0 Ethan Salas 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Fernando Sanchez 5 3 0 0 3 8 0 Josh Mallitz 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Harry Gustin 2/3 3 4 3 0 0 1 Michael Flynn 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Sadrac Franco 1 2 4 3 2 1 1 Matt Watson's Scoreless Start, Zach Evans' 3 RBIs Give TinCaps Split Right-handed Matt Watson threw four scoreless innings in his first professional start, while Zach Evans homered and drove in three as the High-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps blanked the Beloit SkyCarp 5-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. Beloit won the nightcap 4-2, snapping the TinCaps' six-game winning streak. Watson, a 13th-round draft choice in 2024 who had Tommy John surgery after being selected, had made three relief appearances before his scheduled start against Beloit. He gave up just two hits, while walking one and striking out one, throwing 31 of his 48 pitches for strikes. Isaiah Lowe finished with three hitless innings, walking two and striking out three. Evans was the surprise offensive star. He entered the game with a .188/.263/.232 slash line and just one RBI in 18 games this year. With two outs in the second inning, Carlos E. Rodriguez singled and Evans doubled down the left-field line for a 1-0 lead. Kavares Tears followed with an RBI single to put the TinCaps up 2-0. Jake Cunningham drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and Evans crushed a 1-1 pitch for a two-run homer, his first of the year. In the second game, the TinCaps managed just four hits, including two by Jake Cunningham. Cunningham had a bases-loaded single in the third inning that plated a pair of runs to tie the game 2-2. Beloit, which scored twice in the second, took the lead back with a run in the top of the fourth and added another in the sixth. TinCaps right-handed starter Maikel Miralles had second encouraging outing after back-to-back rough starts. Miralles allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in four innings. His five strikeouts were the most since he had nine in his season debut. Right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove struck out three in 1⅓ innings, allowing a run, and left-handed reliever Braian Salazar allowed one hit and a walk in 1⅔ scoreless innings, striking out one. FW_0506.mp4 FIRST GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 0 0 0 0 0 Rosman Verdugo 3 1 1 1 0 0 Lamar King Jr. 1 0 0 0 2 0 Alex McCoy 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jake Cunningham 2 1 1 0 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 3 1 1 0 0 1 Zach Evans 3 2 2 3 0 0 Kavares Tears 3 0 1 1 0 0 Jonathan Vastine 2 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 4 2 0 0 1 1 0 Isaiah Lowe 3 0 0 0 2 3 0 SECOND GAME Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells 3 1 1 0 1 1 Rosman Verdugo 2 1 0 0 1 0 Lamar King Jr. 2 0 0 0 1 1 Alex McCoy 2 0 0 0 1 0 Jake Cunningham 3 0 2 2 0 1 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 0 3 Zach Evans 3 0 0 0 0 0 Dylan Grego 3 0 0 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares 3 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Maikel Miralles 4 7 3 3 2 5 0 Tucker Musgrove 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 3 0 Braian Salazar 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Jesus Castro Strikes Out 7, But Storm Fall Short Right-handed starter Jesus A. Castro struck out a season-high seven, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm couldn't muster enough offensively in a 3-2 loss to the Inland Empire 66ers. Bradley Frye, Jorge Quintana and Kerrington Cross each had two hits for the Storm, who outhit the 66ers 9-5. Cross scored both of the Storm's runs and had his first stolen base of the season. Castro, an 18-year-old who made his pro debut last season in the Dominican Summer League, also set a season best by going 5⅔ innings. He struck out a career-best eight in 4⅔ in a game last year and fell one out short of matching his longest out of 2025. Castro allowed four hits and didn't walk anyone. The score was tied 1-1 when he left in the sixth after retiring the first two batters and hitting the third. Daichi Moriki came on and gave up a walk and a two-run double for a 3-1 66ers lead. Cross led off the top of the third inning with a double, stole second base with one out and scored on Frye's single to center for a 1-0 Storm lead. The 66ers tied it in the bottom of the inning. The Storm got their only other run in the top of the eighth. With one out, Cross tripled to dead center and scored on pinch-hitter Ryan Wideman's groundout to short. Right-hander Nick Falter turned in two scoreless innings for the Storm, walking one and striking out four. Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye 4 0 2 1 0 0 Jose Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 4 0 1 0 0 0 Victor Duarte 4 0 0 0 0 0 George Bilecki 3 0 0 0 0 3 Luke Cantwell 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jorge Quintana 3 0 2 0 0 1 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 1 Kerrington Cross 3 2 2 0 0 0 Conner Westenburg 2 0 1 0 0 1 Ryan Wideman 1 0 0 1 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 5 2/3 4 2 2 0 7 0 Daichi Moriki 1/3 1 1 1 1 0 0 Nick Falter 2 0 0 0 1 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 0-for-1 Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 2-for-3, 2B, K Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-1, RBI Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, 3 BB, K, SB Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, RBI Truitt Madonna: 1-for-4 Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, RBI Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP LE_0506.mp4 View full article

It's hard to miss Alex McCoy. After all, he is listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds. While looking more like a football or basketball player, the outfielder is standing out for other reasons on the baseball diamond. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of college in 2024, McCoy has thrived in his brief time in the San Diego Padres' organization. Building off a good 2025, his first season in pro ball, McCoy, the left fielder for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps, has been the best overall hitter in the farm system through the first month of the season, making him an easy choice for Padres Mission's Minor-League Player of the Month for April. The 24-year-old had a 15-game hitting streak that was snapped last weekend and had a 19-game on-base to finish the month. His hitting streak was the longest by a TinCap since a 15-gamer by Fernando Tatis Jr. in 2017. During that run, McCoy had a .339/.354/.645 slash line (.999 OPS) with seven doubles, four homers and nine RBIs. That was the core of his April production. McCoy finished April with a .354/.386/.683 slash line, with a Midwest League-leading 10 doubles to go along with five homers and 14 RBIs in 21 games. He has stolen five bases in seven attempts. He concluded the month with his first three-hit game of the season, including his first triple. Since April 7 among players with as many at-bats, he leads the league in doubles, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases. His five homers thus far are two shy of what he hit in 58 games last season. McCoy doesn't currently rank among Padres Mission's Top 20 prospects, but that could change in our next update. MCCOY_MILB_POM.mp4 As with any young slugger, McCoy has struggled to draw walks, with a 3.4% walk rate (three walks in 88 plate appearances), and his 23.9% strikeout rate is slightly above what the MLB average is. Nevertheless, McCoy has some of the best power in the system. Last season with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm, McCoy had a peak exit velocity of 118 mph, a figure that would look elite even at the MLB level. His emergence is definitely a win for the Padres' player development at a time the farm system could use a few. The Friars are universally ranked last among the 30 farm systems due to the way president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has traded prospects to bolster the major-league roster in recent years. The Padres signed him in 2024 as an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra, where he played after three seasons at Maryland-Eastern Shore. McCoy hit 11 homers in 56 games, mainly as a center fielder, at Hofstra with 44 RBIs and 22 stolen bases while putting up a .306/.384/.509 slash line. In 80 games At Maryland-Eastern Shore, first base was his primary position, hitting four homers, driving in 29 and stealing 36 bases in 43 attempts combined in his two playing seasons (his freshman year was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic). His slash lines were .294/.388/.368 in 2022 and .253/.357/.347. His evolution as a hitter at Hofstra could be attributed to the Pride's head coach, former MLB infielder Frank Catalanotto. McCoy didn't play professionally after signing in July 2024 until making his debut with Lake Elsinore in April 2025. With the Storm, he had a .318/.394/.513 slash line with six homers and 33 RBIs in 53 games, with 14 steals in 16 attempts. McCoy also had 12 doubles and three triples. He had a brief rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League, posting a .278/.381/.611 slash line in five games with three doubles, a homer and seven RBIs. McCoy had eight- and nine-game hitting streaks with Lake Elsinore. As a 24-year-old in High-A, McCoy is a bit old for the level (he is about 18 months older than the average player), so it wouldn't be surprising to see him move up to Double-A San Antonio soon if he continues to hit like this. His ability to hit and hit for power will need to be maintained if his ascent is to continue. Defensively, McCoy should be able to stick in left, but he also does have experience at first base, giving him positional flexibility. View full article

The El Paso Chihuahuas walked off Tacoma 10-9 in 10 innings on a wild pitch, with Rodolfo Durán going 4-for-4 with four RBIs. The San Antonio Missions beat Midland 10-5 behind three consecutive home runs, and Victor Lizarraga delivered five scoreless innings of relief of Lucas Giolito. The Lake Elsinore Storm dropped an 8-6 game at Inland Empire after a five-run fifth. Fort Wayne was postponed. Padres Minor-League Transactions Padres optioned LHP Kyle Hart to El Paso Chihuahuas. Padres recalled IF Sung-Mun Song from El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Lucas Giolito assigned to San Antonio Missions from Lake Elsinore Storm. San Antonio Missions transferred RHP Andrew Dalquist to the Development List. RHP Bernard Jose assigned to ACL Padres from Fort Wayne TinCaps. LHP Javier Chacon assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm. LHP Cal Riehl assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres. Lake Elsinore Storm sent C Ty Harvey on a rehab assignment to ACL Padres. Chihuahuas Blow Lead, But Rally For 10th-Inning Victory Over Rainiers Jase Bowen scored on a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the 10th as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas overcame a five-run eighth inning by Tacoma to hand the Rainiers a 10-9 loss. El Paso blew a 7-1 lead after three innings, but came up with its third walk-off win and snapped a three-game losing streak. Rodolfo Duran homered as part of a four-hit, four-RBI performance, Pablo Reyes went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs and Nick Solak had three hits and scored twice for the Chihuahuas. Reyes has reached base safely in all 23 games he has played this year. Mason McCoy singled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Reyes had an RBI double, Clay Dungan a sacrifice fly and Duran a run-scoring single to put the Missions up 3-1. In the third, Reyes hit an opposite-field three-run homer, his third of the season and Duran had a two-out RBI double for a 7-1 advantage. Tacoma scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to make it 7-4. Duran led off the bottom of the sixth with his fourth homer and then, in the seventh, singled home another for a 9-4 lead. But the Rainiers scored five times in the top of the eighth to tie it. In the 10th, Bowen was the zombie runner at second, went to third on Samad Taylor's weak groundout to third and scored on a wild pitch on the second pitch to Nate Mondou. Missions right-handed starter Evan Fitterer allowed four runs on five hits and five walks with one strikeout in 4⅓ innings. Right-hander Alek Jacob got the win after striking out five in 2⅓ innings. EP_0505.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen, CF 6 1 0 0 0 3 Samad Taylor, LF 6 0 0 0 0 2 Will Wagner, 2B 4 1 2 0 1 0 Nate Mondou, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Solak, DH 4 2 3 0 1 0 Pablo Reyes, 3B 5 2 3 4 0 1 Nick Schnell, RF 4 2 1 0 1 2 Mason McCoy, SS 5 0 1 0 0 2 Clay Dungan, 2B 3 1 1 1 1 0 Rodolfo Durán, C 4 1 4 4 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 4 1/3 5 4 4 5 1 1 Miguel Cienfuegos 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Logan Gillaspie (H, 2) 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Eli Villalobos 2/3 3 3 3 0 1 1 Alek Jacob (W, 2-0; BS, 2) 2 1/3 1 2 2 1 5 1 Giolito Struggles, Missions Hit Back-To-Back-To-Back HRs In Win Leandro Cedeno, Tirso Ornelas and Ryan Jackson hit consecutive homers in a five-run third inning as the Double-A San Antonio Missions pulled away late for a 10-5 victory over the Midland RockHounds. San Diego Padres right-hander Lucas Giolito had his third tune-up as he prepares to return to the majors, taking a step up to Double-A after two games at Low-A Lake Elsinore. It was the roughest of the three outings, although some shaky defense didn't help. Giolito pitched three scoreless innings before giving up a five-spot in the fourth. Giolito gave up a leadoff homer and four singles, along with an error and a catcher's interference, leading to the five runs (three earned), trimming the Missions' lead to 6-5. Overall, Giolito gave up eight hits and two walks while striking out a pair. SA1_0505.mp4 Ethan Salas went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored for the Missions, while Cedeno, Jackson and Luis Verdugo each had a pair of hits. The fireworks for the Missions came in the third inning. Up 1-0, Salas and Romeo Sanabria walked to lead off the frame when Cedeno unloaded on the first pitch, sending a towering shot to center for his fourth homer of the season to make it 4-0. His other three homers came during last week's road trip, including one Sunday. Ornelas hit the next pitch off the scoreboard in right field and Jackson sent a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right for the hat trick of homers. It was Ornelas' fifth homer and Jackson's first of the year. After the RockHounds pulled with 6-5 vs. Giolito, the Missions secured the win with a four-run seventh inning. Cedeno doubled, Ornelas and Jackson walked and Braedon Karpathios' groundout to second plated Cedeno. Verdugo had an RBI single, Francisco Acuna a run-scoring groundout and Salas an RBI single. Right-hander Victor Lizarraga relieved Giolito and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, both teams played as their Copa de la Diversion alter egos, the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio and the Midland Amigos. SA2_0505.mp4 SA3_0505.mp4 SA4_0505.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas, C 5 1 3 1 0 0 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 4 1 0 0 1 1 Leandro Cedeño, DH 4 2 2 3 0 2 Tirso Ornelas, LF 4 2 1 1 1 1 Ryan Jackson, 2B 3 2 2 1 2 1 Braedon Karpathios, RF 4 1 1 1 1 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 4 1 2 1 1 0 Francisco Acuna, SS 5 0 1 2 0 2 Kai Murphy, CF 4 0 1 0 0 2 Kai Roberts, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Lucas Giolito 4 8 5 3 2 2 1 Victor Lizarraga (W, 1-3) 5 3 0 0 1 2 0 TinCaps Postponed, Will Play Two Wednesday; McCoy Honored The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were rained out in their series opener against the Beloit Snappers. The two teams will play a doubleheader Wednesday. Right-hander Matt Watson had been scheduled to start for the TinCaps. Also, outfielder Alex McCoy was named Midwest League Player of the Month for April. McCoy led the league in hits (29), doubles (10) and slugging percentage (.683), while being second in batting average (.354), total bases (56) and OPS (1.069). His five home runs were fifth in the league. McCoy had nine games with multiple hits, including three with multiple extra-base hits. Walks Haunt Storm In Loss to 66ers Despite racking up 14 strikeouts, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm pitchers issued eight walks and allowed two eighth-inning runs in an 8-6 loss to the Inland Empire 66ers. Jorge Quintana went 3-for-5, Truitt Madonna hit a two-run homer and Justin DeCriscio had two hits for the Storm, which outhit the 66ers 11-8. The Storm jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Madonna got things going in the top of the first when he followed Bradley Frye's walk and 10th stolen base by crushing his first homer of the season to left. After the 66ers tied it in the bottom of the first, Jose Verdugo, with one out, reached on a two-base error, Qrey Lott walked and Frye had an RBI single to center for a 3-1 lead. Quintana led off the fourth with a single to center and Verdugo attempted to bunt him over, but the pitcher threw the ball away and Quintana scored all the way from first to make it 4-1, with Verdugo ending up at third. Inland Empire scored five times in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead, but the Storm came back with a run in the sixth on Verdugo's sacrifice fly and another in the seventh on Conner Westenburg's leadoff triple and DeCriscio's one-out single to center to tie it 6-6. But the 66ers reclaimed the lead in the eighth on a pair of bases-loaded walks. Storm right-hander Winyer Chourio turned in another strong start, allowing one run on two hits but walking four and striking out six in four innings. LE_0505.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye, 3B 4 1 1 1 1 1 Justin DeCriscio, RF 5 0 2 1 0 2 Truitt Madonna, C 5 1 1 2 0 1 Luke Cantwell, 1B 3 0 1 0 2 1 Kerrington Cross, PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 Victor Duarte, DH 4 1 0 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana, SS 5 1 3 0 0 0 Jose Verdugo, 2B 3 1 1 1 0 1 Qrey Lott, LF 3 0 1 0 1 0 Conner Westenburg, CF 3 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio 4 2 1 1 4 6 0 Brandon Langley 2/3 3 5 3 1 2 0 Cal Riehl 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Sean Barnett (L, 0-1) 1 1 2 2 2 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 3-for-5, 2B Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 3-for-5 Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: DNP Romeo Sanabria: 0-for-4, BB, K Truitt Madonna: 1-for-5, HR, K Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View full article

Yuki Matsui is finally back with the San Diego Padres. But Jake Cronenworth is out for a brief period. Matsui, the left-handed reliever, who has been out since spring training with a strained left groin, was activated off the 15-day injured list Tuesday, while Cronenworth, the starting second baseman, went on the seven-day concussion list. Left-handed reliever Kyle Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso and infielder Sung-Mun Song was called up. Cronenworth's concussion is the most surprising of these moves. He did not appear to be injured in Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants. Matsui had seemed close to being ready for Opening Day during spring training, but he did not appear in a Cactus League game. So he began the season on the 15-day injured list and began a rehab assignment with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas a week later. At El Paso, Matsui made 11 appearances, allowing seven runs on 17 hits with three walks and 14 strikeouts in 17⅔ innings. In two of his final three games, he went two innings. In his two years in MLB, Matsui has a 3.86 ERA in 125 appearances, with an 11.3% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate. Song was called up as the extra player for the two-game Mexico City Series two weekends ago, but made only one pinch-running appearance. He was still recovering from an oblique injury at the start of the season and, once healthy, there wasn't room for him on the major-league roster, so he was optioned to El Paso. Now, he will fill in for Cronenworth at second base and make a case for him to remain on the roster. In 25 games at El Paso, Song had a .293/.364/.354 with one homer and 15 RBIs. His homer came in Sunday's game for the Chihuahuas. Hart had a 5.40 ERA in 12 appearances, walking six and striking out 10 in 16⅔ innings. View full rumor

Checking in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week: Ethan Salas, C, Double-A San Antonio Season stats: 22 games, .307/.402/.573, 12 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K, 6 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: The first week of the season was not kind to Salas, as he got off to a 2-for-12 start (.125/.176/.188 slash line). But since April 10, he has hit in 14 of 18 games—two were 0-for-1 pinch-hit appearances—to raise his slash line to where it is now. More recently, the 19-year-old, who is Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, has found his power stroke, having a stretch where he homered in five of the seven games in which he played. All have been pulled homers by the left-handed hitter, who has often been slotted into the leadoff spot. Salas, who made his pro debut in 2023 as a 16-year-old after being the top international free-agent signing, has eight multi-hit games, three of which came this past week against the Tulsa Drillers. He was 7-for-21 with five runs scored, three homers and five RBIs. His stretch of five homers in seven days included going deep in three straight games, then blasts in back-to-back games. Salas also walked five times last week, all coming in the final three games, including three in Sunday's series finale when he went 0-for-2. These developments are obviously very positive considering Salas was coming off a serious back injury that sidelined him for all but 10 season-opening games in 2025. Also, while his defense has been considered elite, his offense has had mixed results. After a very good start to his career at Low-A Lake Elsinore, he finished 2023 with a .248/.331/.421 slash line as a 17-year-old and .206/.288/.311 at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024. While many might be clamoring for a promotion, Double-A often provides the better competition due to the wealth of prospects at the level. Perhaps a June promotion would be in line if his offensive production continues. Sung-Mun Song, 2B, Triple-A El Paso Season stats: 25 games, .293/.364/.354, 14 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB, 27 K, 1 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: While Song doesn't fit the typical prospect profile, he is expected to be a big part of the Padres at some point in the near future. Initially sent to the Chihuahuas on a rehab assignment after re-aggravating an oblique injury in spring training, Song was optioned to Triple-A when that assignment expired. He hasn't pouted at the decision. Song, who signed as a four-year, $15 million contract this offseason after a career in the Korea Baseball Organization, has been a steady contributor for El Paso. That includes hitting in all five games last week that he played in, with back-to-back two-hit games and capping the week with his first homer since signing with the Padres. He has hit in eight straight games at Triple-A and only once gone consecutive games without a hit. He had a brief call-up to the Padres as the extra player for the Mexico City Series, but only appeared as a pinch-runner in one game. Song hit a solo homer in the seventh-inning of Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes. That was just his fourth extra-base hit in 25 games and second since a double April 10. He also only has one stolen base. In his last two seasons in the KBO, he had a combined 45 homers and 46 stolen bases (in 48 attempts). His positional versatility—he can play second, third or shortstop—would be beneficial for the Padres, who have played Fernando Tatis Jr. out of position (albeit successfully) at second base six times this year. Clay Edmondson, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 10 games (all in relief), 0-1, 0.75 ERA, 5 saves, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 16 K, 0.75 WHIP, .136 opp. avg. Why he's hot: The 22-year-old, who was a 14th-round draft choice in 2025 out of North Carolina-Asheville, went 3-for-3 in save opportunities last week against the South Bend Cubs. He made those three appearances, going 3⅓ innings with three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder allowed both of the runs he has allowed this season in his third outing April 7 vs. Lansing, not allowing a run in his last seven appearances. His three walks came in three straight games and hasn't issued a free pass in his last four outings. On Friday against South Bend, he came on in the eighth and struck out all four batters he faced. Edmondson's five saves in as many chances lead the Midwest League. Edmondson made seven appearances after being drafted last year, six at Lake Elsinore and one at Triple-A El Paso at the end of the season. In 12⅔ innings, he gave up six runs on 11 hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts with a .239 opponent batting average. His brief audition at El Paso shows the Padres are keeping a close on on Edmondson, making him a candidate to be a quick mover. Jake Cunningham, OF, High-A Fort Wayne Season stats: 23 games, .325/.391/.636, 17 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 7 BB, 22 K, 4 SB, 1 CS Why he's hot: The 23-year-old, drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round out of North Carolina-Charlotte and signed this offseason after being released, has hits in nine of his last 10 games, including five of six last week vs. South Bend. That included driving in a career-high five runs Wednesday in a 7-4 TinCaps win. Fort Wayne was in an 0-for-14 funk with the bases loaded when Cunningham delivered a two-run single for the game's first runs. He added a two-run homer the next inning. Cunningham had two more hits Sunday, his eighth multi-hit game this year, including his team-best sixth homer, a solo shot. After starting the season 0-for-8, Cunningham is hitting .362 with 12 extra-base hits. His six homers are already a career high after hitting eight in 182 games while with the Orioles. He is part of a talented TinCaps outfield that also has Alex McCoy and Kavares Tears (Padres Mission's No. 16 prospect). He dealt with injuries each of the last two seasons that limited him to 92 and 76 games, respectively, but has unlocked more of his potential since joining the Padres. Qrey Lott, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Season stats: 8 games, .400/.500/.750, 8 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, 0 CS Why he's hot: Anytime you go 5-for-5 with a pair of homers and six RBIs, you can be considered hot. That is the day Lott turned in Sunday as the Lake Elsinore Storm pulled out a 12-10, 10-inning victory over the Ontario Tower Buzzers. It was his first pro game with multiple hits. The 21-year-old hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning after opening the game with a two-run homer in the second inning. Lott also had an RBI singles in the fourth inning and and seventh inning. He was replaced for the bottom of the ninth as the Storm made defensive changes, otherwise Lott would have come up in the 10th inning with a chance for a third homer. He had 11 total bases in the game. Lott is making his professional debut this year. He joined the Storm roster when outfielder Kale Fountain went down with a season-ending shoulder injury after he crashed into a wall. Initially drafted by the Orioles in the 15th round in 2023 out of high school, Lott didn't sign. He signed with the Padres last year after playing two years of junior college at Northwest Florida State and going undrafted despite participating in the MLB Draft League. View full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 2-4 Runs scored last week: 22 Runs allowed last week: 35 Standings Scores Game 28 (Monday): Padres 9, Cubs 7 Game 29 (Tuesday): Cubs 8, Padres 3 Game 30 (Wednesday): Cubs 5, Padres 4 Off (Thursday) Game 31 (Friday): White Sox 8, Padres 2 Game 32 (Saturday): White Sox 4, Padres 0 Game 33 (Sunday): Padres 4, White Sox 3 Series Breakdown/Highlights Cubs series Game 1: This will be known as the game that Mason Miller's scoreless streak came to an end under unusual circumstances, but it should also be remembered as Ty France continuing to be a key part of the offense. The Padres overcame an early 5-3 deficit and held on for a 9-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs (more on the ending in a minute) as France doubled, tripled, stole a base and drove in four runs. One reason the Friars have had the number of comebacks they have had is because of slow starts. That wasn't the case vs. the Cubs as the Padres scored three times in the first on a Jackson Merrill RBI single and a bases-loaded two-out two-run ground-rule double to make it 3-0. The Cubs moved ahead 5-3 on Seiya Suzuki's solo homer in the second and Moises Ballesteros' grand slam in the third off right-hander Randy Vasquez. Vasquez threw a season-high 106 pitches and managed to finish five innings despite allowing five runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. In the fifth, now trailing 5-4, Manny Machado had a leadoff double, France drew a two-out walk and stole second, then Nick Castellanos, in an 0-for-19 funk, grounded a single up the middle to put the Friars up 6-5. Xander Bogaers and Miguel Andujar singled to open the bottom of the seventh when France hit his triple down the left-field line with the help of Matt Shaw's misjudgment to put the Friars up 8-5. Gavin Sheets put an exclamation point on the comeback with a no-doubt solo homer, his fourth of the year, in the eighth inning. But then came the ninth. Miller was already warm when Sheets hit his two-out homer and still came in despite it not being a save situation. Shaw led off the ninth with a dribbler that hugged the third-base line until it appeared to trickle foul just shy of the bag when France, now playing third after Machado left in the sixth inning with discomfort in his left leg, delicately picked it up as it came to a stop. Replays showed a sliver of dirt between the ball and the line, but home plate umpire Dan Merzel ruled fair, which was upheld after consulting with the third base umpire. The play was not subject to replay review by rule. MLB would say the next day that the ball was foul. Two more singles followed, making it three hits in the inning and doubling Miller's hits allowed this season, to load the bases. Nico Hoerner hit a grounder to second that brought in the first run against Miller after 34⅔ innings, a club record and the eighth-longest streak in MLB since at least 1961. Miller uncorked a wild pitch to plate the second run before he got a groundout and a strikeout to complete the victory. Game 2: The Padres' bullpen is usually rock solid, so it is kind of shocking when the relievers falter. That happened in the Friars' 8-3 loss to the Cubs in this rematch of last year's NL Wild Card Series won by Chicago. The loss snapped the Padres' nine-game Petco Park winning streak. It was 2-2 entering the top of the sixth with Padres left-hander Kyle Hart on the mound after getting the last out of the fifth for starter Walker Buehler. Hart gave up a single, a failed sacrifice bunt and a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. On came David Morgan, who had given up eight runs in his previous three outings. After a wild pitch and a strikeout, Morgan gave up a two-out two-run double to Hoerner for a 4-2 Cubs lead. Morgan came out for the seventh, but it was just to face one batter, walking Suzuki. Left-hander Wandy Peralta was brought in with switch-hitter Ian Happ and left-handed hitter Michael Busch up. Happ grounded back to Peralta and Busch was hit by a pitch. Carson Kelly grounded out to Bogaerts, who made a nice play up the middle to get the one out. But Bregman had an opposite-field RBI single and Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered the death blow with a three-run homer. Buehler was OK, giving up two runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 4⅔ innings. Machado, who left Monday's game due to cramping in his left calf, sat out. With Miguel Andujar dealing with hamstring tightness, that led manager Craig Stammen to put Jake Cronenworth at third base for just the second time in his MLB career and first since his rookie season of 2020. Stammen also missed the last few innings as he had a flight to catch in order to attend a funeral. Bench coach Randy Knorr took over and will be in charge for the series finale, with Stammen expected back for the weekend series vs. the Chicago White Sox. Game 3: For the first time since the first two series of the season, the Padres lost a set. That came with a 5-4 loss to the Cubs after the Friars had gone 6-0-1 since dropping the series to the San Francisco Giants. The Padres had won 17 of their 20 games in April before losing the final two to the Cubs. The Padres got a couple of unexpected offensive contributions as Andujar hit his first homer in a Padres uniform in the fifth to trim Chicago's lead to 3-1, then Castellanos had his second big hit of the series when a two-run blast, joining Andujar in the first-time-as-a-Padre club. But that was the real extent of the offense. The Padres had just three hits, with their fourth run of the game coming without the benefit of a hit. In the bottom of the eight and trailing 5-3, Castellanos, Campusano and Merrill each drew full-count walks to load the bases. Fernando Tatis Jr.' sacrifice fly to center plated the Friars' final run of the game as Machado followed by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play. Andujar's homer, a tomahawk job, broke up a perfect game by Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon. Unfortunately, Padres right-hander Matt Waldron couldn't match that effort. After giving up an RBI single in the top of the second, Waldron was touched for a two-run homer by Crow-Armstrong in the fourth to put the Cubs up 3-0. While the Padres tied it with the fifth-inning homers, Crow-Armstrong's RBI groundout against left-hander Adrian Morejon restored the Cubs' lead and Matt Shaw made it a 5-3 game with his solo shot off right-hander Jason Adam. Waldron allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out one. White Sox series Game 1: While the calendar flipped to a new month, the Padres' fortunes remained the same as they were to end April. Right-hander German Marquez continued his Jekyll and Hyde season with a rough start in the Friars' 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox, the Padres' season-worst third straight loss. Marquez had alternated good and bad outings in his first six starts this season, but turned in his worst game after a poor performance in his previous start. Marquez was torched for seven runs in five innings, allowing five hits (two homers) and five walks while striking out two. Marquez had walked seven in his previous five starts. Three of those five walks came in the second inning as the White Sox tagged Marquez for six runs, with two coming back-to-back with one out and preceding Munetaka Murakami's two-out three-run homer. The second inning included a defensive gaffe by Fernando Tatis Jr., who was playing second base for the sixth time this season. On a potential double-play grounder to Machado with runners on the corners, the third baseman threw to Tatis at second for one out and Tatis saw the runner breaking for home. A good throw would have gotten the out, but Tatis' toss wasn't even close, allowing the White Sox to go up 2-0. Murakami's MLB-leading 13th blast followed four hitters later. Padres hitters didn't have much luck solving 6-foot-10 White Sox left-hander Noah Schultz, who limited the Friars to two hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts over six scoreless innings. The Padres had just two hits and were down 8-0 entering the bottom of the eighth. Bryce Johnson drew a one-out walk, then Tatis, Andujar and Machado had consecutive two-out singles to account for their two runs. Game 2: Another day, another quality start turned in against the Padres. An offense that showed up at the right times in the first month of the season hasn't been able to come up with the hits at the right times recently, which resulted in a season-high fourth straight loss, a 4-0 decision to the White Sox. The Friars had just six hits, including four against right-hander Sean Burke, who turned in the second straight start of six scoreless innings against the Padres. Burke struck out eight and walked one. Still, the Padres, who have eight comeback wins this season, had a chance in the ninth. Merrill had a leadoff infield single, then Machado and Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out. But Sheets struck out on an ABS challenge by the White Sox, Andujar flew out to shallow right and Luis Campusano struck out, securing the Padres' second shutout of the season. Padres right-handed starter Michael King was overall pretty good, but he ran out of steam at the end of his outing. King matched Burke by taking a shutout into the sixth. He gave up a one-out walk and single and, after a groundout put runners on second and third, gave up a two-run single to Miguel Vargas. With an overworked bullpen, King went out for the seventh, but that move backfired. Two singles sandwiched around a double made it 3-0 and ended King's night. Bradgley Rodriguez came in gave up a one-out safety squeeze for the fourth run off King. King gave up seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts. One bright spot was the return of right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada, who was activated from the 15-day injured list the day before after a bout of tendinitis in his right elbow. Estrada was back to his old self, striking out the side in the ninth. Game 3: The Padres unfortunately get off to slow starts, but boy, do they know how to finish. Bogaerts provided the difference in this one as his excuse-me check-swing grounder to third base brought in Laureano from third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, snapping a tie and giving the Padres a 4-3 victory, preventing a three-game sweep by the White Sox. The victory also halted a four-game losing streak. Right-handed starter Griffin Canning made his Padres debut as Marquez went on the injured list. The SoCal native looked right at home, allowing a solo homer as part of his three hits and three walks, while striking out seven over five innings. An offense that has been scuffling all week came to life in the bottom of the fourth inning. Canning gave up the homer in the third inning, the fifth straight game the Friars fell behind. Then Andujar, batting second with Tatis getting a day off, led off the fourth by drilling a 1-2 sinker into the left-center field bleachers for his second homer of the season, both coming this week. Machado followed suit two batters later with a towering solo blast, his fifth homer of the year, to put the Padres up 2-1, their first lead since Monday. Bogaerts and France singled and moved to second and third on a groundout. Fermin followed with a walk, but the 3-2 pitch was wild and Bogaerts scampered home for a 3-1 lead. Morejon coughed up a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the game, setting up another dramatic finish. Laureano led off the eighth with a walk, stole second and scored on a Merrill infield single. Merrill stole second and, after an out, Bogaerts plated the go-ahead run with his soft chopper. Miller, in his first save chance of the week, nailed down his MLB-leading 11th with three strikeouts. Now the Padres have a quick road trip to San Francisco for three against the Giants before a short four-game homestand vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: 1.10 ERA, 16 games, 16⅓ innings, 11 saves in 11 chances, seven hits, two runs (both earned), three walks, 32 strikeouts, .127 opponent batting average. Has retired the first batter in all 16 appearances. 71% of his 230 pitches this season have been strikes. Has recorded three strikeouts in seven of his saves. New scoreless streak is 1⅔ innings. Random Stats Manny Machado's third-inning double Monday vs. the Cubs was the 400th of his career, the 10th-highest total among activate players. Teammate Nick Castellanos joined that club with his first double of the season. The two quality starts by the White Sox were the 14th and 15th by an opposing pitcher in the Padres' 33 games. Five of those have been six scoreless innings. The Padres are now 4-1 in the rubber game of series this year after losing the finale to the Cubs. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s homer-less streak is now at 139 plate appearances. The Friars have had an extra-base hit in 34 consecutive games dating back to last year, their longest since a 43-game run to end 2024. Transactions Monday: Optioned IF Sung-Mun Song to El Paso Chihuahuas. Tuesday: Sent RHP Jeremiah Estrada on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas. Thursday: Optioned RHP David Morgan to El Paso Chihuahuas. Friday: Activated RHP Jeremiah Estrada from the 15-day injured list. Friday: Sent IF Will Wagner on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas. Sunday: Activated RHP Griffin Canning (ruptured left Achilles) from the 15-day injured list. Sunday: Placed RHP German Márquez on the 15-day injured list with forearm nerve inflammation retroactive to Saturday. Website Highlights Morejon remains the quintessential setup man for Padres — Randy Holt The Crone Zone is a lonely place in San Diego these days — Tom Gatto France is suddenly the Padres' most important hitter — Steve Drumwright History says Marquez, King will be OK after pitching in Mexico City — Tom Gatto Seidler family announce sale agreement with Felicano, Jones — Steve Drumwright Padres Minor-League Pitcher of the Month: Winyer Chourio — Steve Drumwright Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Giants (TBA), 6:45 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Giants, 6:45 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Matt Waldron) at Giants, 12:45 p.m. Thursday: Cardinals at Padres (Michael King), 7:10 p.m. Friday: Cardinals at Padres (Griffin Canning), 6:45 p.m. Saturday: Cardinals at Padres (Randy Vasquez), 4:15 p.m. Sunday: Cardinals at Padres (Walker Buehler), 1:10 p.m. View full article

Three of four San Diego Padres affiliates won Sunday. Eric Yost struck out seven across four innings as San Antonio held off Tulsa 8-7, and Tirso Ornelas drove in the go-ahead run. Lamar King Jr. drove in four runs, and Igor Gil delivered three hitless innings as Fort Wayne edged South Bend 11-10. Qrey Lott went 5-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs as Lake Elsinore won 12-10 in 10 innings. El Paso fell 4-3. Padres Minor-League Transactions No roster moves Sung-Mun Song Homers, But Chihuahuas Drop Finale For Split After being on the wrong end of two blowouts, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas found themselves in a tight one during the series finale. Unfortunately, this one ended like the previous two: with a loss. The host Albuquerque Isotopes scored an eighth-inning run to pull out a 4-3 triumph, splitting the six-game series. Left-handed starter Jackson Wolf kept things from getting out of hand like they did the previous two games, allowing three runs in 4⅔ innings on five hits and two walks with a strikeout. The bullpen of right-handers Garrett Hawkins, Ethan Routzahn and David Morgan only gave up one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over the final 3⅓ innings. El Paso jumped out to a 1-0 win in the top of the first as Will Wagner, in his second game of a rehab assignment following a spring training right oblique strain, doubled and took third on a throwing error, then scored on Samad Taylor's single to left. Albuquerque took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, which stood until the Chihuahuas came to bat in the seventh. Sung-Mun Song hit his first home run as a member of the Padres organization, driving the first pitch of the inning over the fence in right. Mason McCoy singled and stole second, Pablo Reyes walked and a groundout moved the runners to second and third. Rodolfo Duran then lined an opposite-field single through the infield to right to score a pair and tie the game 3-3. But the Isotopes put together a rally in the bottom of the eighth against Morgan, making his first appearance since being demoted by the Padres, that proved to be the difference. Six players had hits for the Chihuahuas, but none had more than one. Reyes walked twice and has reached base in all 22 games he has played. Wagner was also hit by a pitch. EP_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jase Bowen, CF 3 0 0 0 1 3 Will Wagner, 3B 2 1 1 0 1 0 Samad Taylor, RF 4 0 1 1 0 0 Nick Solak, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 Sung-Mun Song, 2B 4 1 1 1 0 1 Mason McCoy, SS 4 1 1 0 0 0 Pablo Reyes, DH 2 0 0 0 2 0 Jose Miranda, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 Rodolfo Durán, C 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 4 2/3 5 3 3 2 1 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 David Morgan (L, 0-1) 1 2 1 1 2 2 0 Leandro Cedeno, Tirso Ornelas Lead Missions To Victory While wins have been hard to come by for the Double-A San Antonio Missions, that doesn't mean they don't have some talent on the roster. Leandro Cedeno hit a three-run homer and Tirso Ornelas also homered and drove in three, including the tiebreaking run in the eighth, as the Missions won the series finale 8-7. The Missions (7-20) won two games in a series for just the second time this year. Cedeno, Ornelas, Romeo Sanabria and Braedon Karpathios each had two of the 10 hits for the Missions, who also were issued eight walks. The Missions held a 6-1 lead in the top of the fourth before needing the late heroics. Ornelas homered leading off the second, his fourth of the year, and a wild pitch made it 2-0. Karpathios tacked on an RBI single in the third for a 3-0 lead. After a pair of walks in the fourth, Cedeno cranked a no-doubt three-run blast, with a nice little bat flip, to deep left to make it 6-1. It was Cedeno's third homer of the season. Ornelas made it 7-1 when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth, but Tulsa scored three in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the seventh to tie it 7-7. In the eighth, Sanabria got things going with a two-out single and was pinch-run for by Kai Roberts. Ornelas then laced a double on an 0-2 pitch to right-center to easily score Roberts from first. Missions right-handed starter Eric Yost didn't allow a hit, but did give up a run on three walks while striking out seven in four innings. Johan Moreno picked up the win with 2⅓ hitless innings. SA_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas, C 2 2 0 0 3 0 Ryan Jackson, 2B 3 1 0 0 2 1 Leandro Cedeño, DH 5 1 2 3 0 1 Romeo Sanabria, 1B 3 1 2 0 1 1 Kai Roberts, CF 0 1 0 0 0 0 Tirso Ornelas, LF 3 1 2 3 2 0 Braedon Karpathios, RF 5 1 2 1 0 1 Luis Verdugo, 3B 5 0 1 0 0 2 Albert Fabian, 1B 5 0 0 0 0 0 Francisco Acuna, SS 5 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 4 0 1 1 3 7 0 Omar Cruz 1 2/3 3 3 3 0 2 2 Francis Peña 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Harry Gustin 1 3 3 2 1 2 0 Johan Moreno (W, 1-0) 2 1/3 0 0 0 1 4 0 Lamar King Jr. Leads Homer Brigade As TinCaps Win 5th Straight The Padres have another catcher on a bit of a hot streak. Lamar King Jr., Padres Mission's No. 13 prospect, homered and matched his career high with four RBIs as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps won their fifth in a row, fending off the host South Bend Cubs 11-10. Carlos E. Rodriguez hit a three-run homer, while Rosman Verdugo and Jake Cunningham also homered and had a pair of RBIs. King, Rodriguez, Verdugo and Cunningham each had two of the TinCaps' 10 hits. Fort Wayne also drew seven walks. Coming off his first career four-hit game, King, at designated hitter Sunday, homered on the first pitch he saw for a two-run homer for a quick 2-0 lead. It was his second homer of the season. Rodriguez continued the big first inning with his three-run blast and a 5-0 lead, his third homer this year. South Bend scored five in the third to tie it. Verdugo led off the top of the fourth with his fourth homer and Cunningham doubled home a pair for an 8-5 lead. South Bend countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, then King went back to work in the fifth with his two-run double and a 10-7 TinCaps lead. After the Cubs made it 10-8 in the bottom of the fifth, Cunningham led off the top of the sixth with his sixth homer this year, making it 11-8. South Bend scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, but both bullpens shut out the offenses over the final three innings. TinCaps starter Abraham Parra was tagged for five runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 2⅔ innings. Igor Gil came in during the sixth inning and pitched three scoreless innings, while Clay Edmondson picked up his Midwest League-best fifth save with a scoreless ninth. FW_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells, CF 4 3 1 0 1 0 Rosman Verdugo, 2B 4 1 2 2 1 0 Lamar King Jr., DH 4 2 2 4 1 1 Alex McCoy, LF 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jake Cunningham, RF 4 2 2 2 1 0 Jack Costello, 1B 5 1 1 0 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez, C 4 2 2 3 1 1 Zach Evans, 3B 4 0 0 0 1 1 Dylan Grego, SS 4 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 2 1/3 5 5 5 2 2 2 Clark Candiotti 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 C.J. Widger (H, 1) 1 1/3 0 1 1 3 1 0 Luis Germán (H, 2) 0 1/3 4 2 1 0 0 1 Igor Gil (W, 2-0) 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Clay Edmondson (S, 5) 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Qrey Lott's Huge Day Helps Storm Rally To Win In 10 You don't have to look far to find the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm in the California League standings. And it is because of wins like this. Down to the final strike of the game, Qrey Lott hit his second homer of the game, a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the ninth, and Luke Cantwell singled home the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning as the Storm surged past the host Ontario Tower Buzzers 12-10. The Storm have won five straight after dropping the series opener. Lott's two homers were part of a 5-for-5, six-RBI day. Lott also homered in the second inning, a two-run shot as part of the best day of his young career. Lott had no homers and three RBIs in the first seven games of his career. Lott went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Padres in July. Cantwell went 4-for-5 and scored a pair of runs, while Truitt Madonna and George Bilecki each went 3-for-6, with Bilecki driving in a pair and scoring twice. Justin DeCriscio also homered. Lake Elsinore trailed 5-4 entering the top of the seventh when Jorge Quintana's one-out RBI single tied it, Bilecki singled home Quintana with the go-ahead run and Lott drove in Bilecki to make it 7-5. But Ontario scored three runs of its own in the eighth to reclaim the lead at 8-7. In the ninth, Kerrington Cross drew a two-out walk and Lott hit a towering two-run blast to center on a 2-2 pitch to flip the script and take a 9-8 lead. But Ontario tied it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. DeCriscio was the zombie runner and went to third on a wild pitch, then scored on Cantwell's one-out single to right to put the Storm up 10-9. A two-out passed ball put Cantwell on third and Quintana doubled to left that was misplayed to make it 11-9. Bilecki capped the outburst with a single to center for a 12-9 lead. LE_0503.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg, CF 1 0 0 0 1 1 Justin DeCriscio, LF 6 2 1 1 0 1 Truitt Madonna, 1B 6 0 3 0 0 1 Luke Cantwell, DH 5 2 4 1 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio, C 5 0 0 0 0 1 Jorge Quintana, SS 4 3 2 2 2 2 George Bilecki, RF 6 2 3 2 0 1 Kerrington Cross, 3B 3 1 1 0 3 0 Qrey Lott, LF 5 2 5 6 0 0 Jose Verdugo, 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 3 5 2 2 1 4 0 Joseph Herrera 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 Nick Falter 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Vicarte Domingo (W, 1-0)(BS, 1) 2 4 4 4 2 1 1 Rordy Mejia (S, 1) 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 0-for-2, 3 BB, SB Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, SB, 2 K Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-3, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, BB, 4 RBI, K Romeo Sanabria: 2-for-3, BB, SB, K Truitt Madonna: 3-for-6, K Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K Kavares Tears: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K Bryan Balzer: DNP View full article

One new guy is set to debut, while another is on the shelf for a bit. The San Diego Padres activated right-hander Griffin Canning from the 15-day injured list before Sunday's start against the Chicago White Sox, while right-handed starter German Marquez went on the 15-day IL with nerve inflammation in his right forearm Canning has not pitched since rupturing his left Achilles in June while with the New York Mets. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Padres as spring training began and made five rehab appearances with Triple-A El Paso. With the Mets last year, Canning had a 4.04 FIP (3.77 ERA) in 76⅓ innings, with a 10.7% walk rate and 21.3% strikeout rate. Marquez has had a rocky start to his Padres career. He signed for one-year, $1.75 million at the same time as Canning did after a 10-year career with the Colorado Rockies. In six starts this year, Marquez has a 6.69 FIP (5.76 ERA) with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts in 29⅔ innings. Marquez started Friday and was roughed up by the Chicago White Sox, allowing seven runs on five hits with five walks and two strikeouts in five innings. View full rumor

The second time through Lake Elsinore is proving to be beneficial for Winyer Chourio. The 22-year-old right-handed starter struggled in nine appearances for the Low-A affiliate in 2025, registering a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings. But back for a second tour with the Storm, Chourio is showing the promise from when the San Diego Padres signed him two years ago. Chourio finished April with his best outing as a pro, striking out eight and allowing one run over five innings in the Storm's 4-3 loss in 10 innings Tuesday to the Ontario Tower Buzzers, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. That capped a month in which he appeared in five games with four starts, compiling a 2.12 ERA, allowing four runs on nine hits with eight walks and 26 strikeouts over 17 innings. His 26 K's are tied for second in the California League. He limited opponents to a .153 batting average. That performance earned Chourio our unofficial award for the Friars' pitcher of the month in April 2026. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Chourio is a late bloomer. While most international free agents sign as 16-year-olds, the Venezuelan didn't latch on with the Padres until he was 20 years old, inking his contract in May 2024. He immediately performed well while pitching for the Padres' Dominican Summer League teams. In 12 games (seven starts), Chourio had a 2.09 ERA in 38⅔ innings, striking out 34 and walking 19 while opponents hit .159. CHOURIO_MILB_POM.mp4 That earned him a trip to the U.S. for the 2025 season. Doing that affects players differently and Chourio, who is not related to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, struggled during his first season in America. He began the season in the Arizona Complex League, making three starts among his 12 games. In 35⅓ innings, Chourio had a 6.37 ERA with 16 walks and 38 strikeouts, allowing five homers in his 44 hits. Opponents hit .308 against him. The Padres pushed him up to Lake Elsinore for the final two months of the season, where he appeared in nine games (two starts). It didn't go much better with the Storm as he threw 20 innings, walking 11 and striking out 17. He eliminated home runs from his ledger but saw opponents hit .309. But 2026 has been much different. Returning to Lake Elsinore, Chourio has been the best pitcher in the Padres' system over the first month (a slight edge over Fort Wayne TinCaps left-hander Kash Mayfield). After making a one-inning relief appearance on Opening Day, Chourio has been the Tuesday starter for the Storm, opening each six-game series. Chourio has allowed four runs in 17 innings. In his four starts, he has struck out six, five, six and a career-high of eight. That eight-strikeout performance came in the same game that rehabbing Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell started, so he might have been a little amped for that matchup. The five innings were the most he has pitched since coming to the U.S. It would figure that Chourio would need more success at Lake Elsinore before being promoted to Fort Wayne, which has the worst team ERA in the Midwest League. His 2.12 ERA would lead the California League if he had a few more innings. He likely won't spend the rest of the first half with the Storm, but making sure he is ready for a promotion would be beneficial for everyone involved. View full article

Tyler Schmitt struck out six over five scoreless innings as the Lake Elsinore Storm beat Ontario 4-2, with Victor Duarte driving in three. The Fort Wayne TinCaps edged South Bend 7-6 on two ninth-inning wild pitches, with Braian Salazar fanning five in relief and Lamar King Jr. collecting four hits. Ethan Salas homered yet again but the San Antonio Missions fell 5-4. El Paso jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but was blasted by Albuquerque 19-7. Padres Minor-League Transactions None. Chihuahuas Blown Out Again By Isotopes For the second game in a row, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up a pair of seven-run innings, this time leading to a 19-7 loss to the host Albuquerque Isotopes. El Paso had a 5-1 lead when the Isotopes scored seven in the fourth and seven in the fifth to claim a 15-5 lead. Right-handed starter Sean Boyle gave up seven of those runs in 3⅔ innings on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. The Isotopes also had a pair of seven-run innings in a 26-8 loss Friday. San Diego Padres left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui made what was likely his last rehab appearance, pitching the sixth and seventh innings, giving up two runs on one hit and a walk with a strikeout. Matsui, who has a strained left groin, must be activated Monday. He made 11 appearances for El Paso. Mason McCoy went 3-for-5 with an RBI double, Nick Schnell homered and drove in a pair of runs, while Clay Dungan had a bases-loaded double in the five-run first inning. EP_0502.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Sung-Mun Song, 3B 4 0 1 0 1 2 Samad Taylor, LF 5 1 1 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez, CF 5 1 1 0 0 1 Mason McCoy, SS 5 1 3 1 0 0 Nate Mondou, DH 4 1 1 1 1 1 Nick Schnell, RF 5 2 2 2 0 3 Marcos Castañon, 1B 3 1 0 0 1 1 Clay Dungan, 2B 4 0 2 3 0 1 Anthony Vilar, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Sean Boyle 3 2/3 6 7 7 2 4 1 Misael Tamarez 1/3 3 5 3 3 0 1 Logan Gillaspie 1 4 3 0 0 1 0 Yuki Matsui 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 Alek Jacob 1 2 3 3 1 0 0 Salas Hits 5th Homer, But Missions Come Up Short For the fifth time in seven games, Ethan Salas left the yard. Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect homered for the second game in a row as the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to the host Tulsa Drillers 5-4. Salas, the 19-year-old who hadn't homered until April 24 and has been hitting out of the leadoff spot, took over the team lead with his fourth homer Friday and added to that total with a solo shot in the seventh inning Saturday that pulled the TinCaps within 5-3. Salas had struck out in his previous two at-bats. Carson Tucker made it 5-4 with his eighth-inning sacrifice fly, but the final four TinCaps were retired in order. Salas, who also has a team-high 14 RBIs, has a .315/.390/.589 slash line in 21 games this year. His homer April 24 was the first in three consecutive games, spilling over to the first game of this series. Tulsa jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning against Missions right-handed starter Ian Koenig, including a three-run homer by Josue De Paula. Luis Verdugo plated the TinCaps' first run with an RBI double in the fourth, but the Drillers got a run back in the bottom of the fourth. Verdugo made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, then Salas hit his homer in the seventh and Tucker's sac fly trimmed it to 5-4. In addition to Verdugo driving in a pair, Braedon Karpathios went 2-for-4. Leandro Cedeño singled and drew three of the TinCaps' seven walks and scored twice. Fort Wayne had just five hits. Four Missions relievers—right-handers Josh Malliltz, Andrew Moore, Michael Flynn and Sadrac Franco—combined for 4⅓ scoreless innings, with three hits, two walks and six strikeouts. SA_0502.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas, DH 4 1 1 1 1 2 Kai Roberts, CF 5 0 0 0 0 4 Leandro Cedeño, 1B 1 2 1 0 3 0 Tirso Ornelas, LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo, 3B 2 1 1 2 1 0 Braedon Karpathios, RF 4 0 2 0 0 1 Carson Tucker, SS 2 0 0 1 1 0 Ryan Jackson, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 3 Chris Sargent, C 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 3 2/3 4 5 0 0 2 1 Josh Mallitz 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 2 0 Andrew Moore 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Michael Flynn 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Sadrac Franco 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Down To Final Strike, TinCaps Pull Off Ninth-Inning Rally One strike away from suffering a loss, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps pulled off an improbable victory by capitalizing on a bout of wildness to score twice in the top of the ninth inning for a 7-6 triumph over the host South Bend Cubs. Fort Wayne won for the fourth straight game, its longest streak since April 29-May 3 of last year. After the Cubs took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth on a bases-loaded walk, the first two TinCaps grounded out to begin the top of the ninth. Alex McCoy drew a five-pitch walk, Jack Costello a four-pitch free pass and Kavares Tears, after fouling off a 3-2 pitch, earned a seven-pitch walk to load the bases. With pinch-hitter Carlos E. Rodriguez up, the pitcher uncorked two wild pitches, bringing in the tying and go-ahead runs. Right-handed reliever Kleiber Olmedo, who came on to begin the eighth, overcame another walk to induce a game-ending double play. Costello went deep for the second time in as many at-bats, hitting a solo shot in the second inning after homering in his final trip Friday, while Lamar King Jr.—Padre's Mission's No. 13 prospect—went 4-for-5 with a run scored and Jake Cunningham drove in a pair of runs. King's four-hit game was the first in 153 games between Low-A and High-A. McCoy doubled in the fifth inning to extend his on-base streak to 21 games. Dylan Grego reached base three times, including twice via walks. The TinCaps drew eight walks. Left-hander Jamie Hitt lasted just 2⅓ innings, throwing 76 pitches (44 strikes), allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. FW_0502.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jake Cunningham, LF 5 0 1 2 0 1 Zach Evans, 3B 5 0 1 0 0 0 Lamar King Jr., 1B 5 1 4 0 0 0 Kasen Wells, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alex McCoy, DH 4 1 1 0 1 0 Jack Costello, 1B 3 2 1 2 1 1 Kavares Tears, RF 3 1 1 0 2 1 Oswaldo Linares, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez, C 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jonathan Vastine, SS 4 1 0 0 1 2 Dylan Grego, 2B 2 1 1 1 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jamie Hitt 2 1/3 3 3 2 3 4 0 Will Varmette 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Bernard Jose 1 1 2 2 2 2 0 Braian Salazar 2 0 1 1 1 5 0 Kleiber Olmedo 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 Victor Duarte Snaps Late Tie, Tyler Schmitt Stellar In Storm Win Victor Duarte drove in three runs, including a two-run double in the eighth inning that broke a tie, giving the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm a 4-2 victory over the host Ontario Tower Buzzers. The Storm won despite having just three hits, although they drew nine walks. The game was tied 2-2 entering the top of the eighth when Truitt Madonna walked and Justin DeCriscio put down a perfect bunt to third that went for a single, but the third baseman threw away, sending Madonna to third. Duarte hit the next pitch for an opposite-field double to right field, scoring Madonna and DeCriscio and a 4-2 Storm lead. Right-handed reliever Carson Swilling pitched the final two innings for his first professional save. That came after right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt allowed just two hits in a season-high five scoreless innings, walking one and striking out six. It was by far the best performance of his brief pro career. Schmitt was the Padres' 17th-round draft choice out of Illinois last year, but made his pro debut this season. Schmitt entered the game with a 9.75 ERA in four games, three starts, covering 12 innings. Ryan Wideman had a two-out triple, his third of the season, in the top of the third, which scored George Bilecki, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Duarte had a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put the Storm up 2-0. He also walked and reached on catcher's interference. Ontario scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. LE_0502.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman, CF 5 0 1 1 0 1 Bradley Frye, 3B 4 1 0 0 1 3 Truitt Madonna, DH 3 1 0 0 2 2 Justin DeCriscio, 2B 4 1 1 0 0 1 Victor Duarte, C 1 0 1 3 1 0 Jose Verdugo, SS 2 0 0 0 2 2 George Bilecki, RF 1 1 0 0 2 1 Yoiber Ocopio, 1B 3 0 0 0 1 2 Conner Westenburg, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt 5 2 0 0 1 6 0 Brandon Langley 2 1 2 2 2 2 0 Carson Swilling 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: DNP Ethan Salas: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, BB, 2 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: DNP Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-5, 3B, RBI, K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 4-for-5, R Romeo Sanabria: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: DNP Kavares Tears: 1-for-3, 2B, R, 2 BB, K Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View full article

The San Diego Padres are closer to no longer being under the control of the Seidler family, which announced an agreement Saturday to sell the MLB franchise to Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. The deal is subject to MLB approval. The announcement comes 16 days after initial reports of the sale first surfaced. The sale price is expected to be $3.9 billion, which smashes the previous record for an MLB franchise of $2.42 billion, the amount Steve Cohen paid in 2020 for the New York Mets. “I’m thrilled that after a highly competitive process, Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano will become the next majority owners of the Padres,” Padres chairman John Seidler said in a released statement. “When I became control person, my goal was to continue building on our recent success in pursuit of a World Series Championship for the city of San Diego and our faithful fans. Now, as I pass the baton to Kwanza and José, I do so with full confidence that they share that vision, as well as the Padres deep commitment to San Diego. It’s what the team, our fans, and the community deserve. “Our family loves this team. This is a bittersweet moment for us as we reflect on what the Padres have accomplished since my brother Peter became the steward of the franchise. I congratulate Kwanza, José, and the Padres, and wish them nothing but success. We look forward to a smooth transition.” Feliciano and Jones issued a joint statement: “The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection, and belonging. As life and business partners, and as a family, we are honored to lead this next chapter together. “We have worked hard for everything we have achieved, and we have built it together. We see that same spirit in this team and its fans, and we know what it takes to win. “We are committed to showing up, listening, and earning the trust of this community, while building on the strong foundation established by the Seidler family. “This is about more than baseball — it’s about boosting the pride, energy, and connection that define the Padres, investing in community, deepening belonging, and ensuring this team remains accessible and endures for generations. We are all in — with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.” Forbes recently valued the Padres at $3.1 billion, a 39% increase from the same time last year. The Padres were sold to a group led by Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler in 2012 for $800 million. That included $200 million in debt that previous owner John Moores had accrued in a recent local-TV deal. The trust of the late Peter Seidler held a 24% share of the Padres and other members of the family held a combined 25% share, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. John Seidler, one of Peter's brothers, became the control person early in 2025. Peter Seidler died in November 2024. He had survived two battles with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and had just had a procedure that September. Feliciano, who is expected to be the control person, and Jones are expected to purchase up to 40% of the team, which a group of other investors. Those minority investors are reportedly to include Alfredo Harp Helu, who had a 20% share of the team under the Seidler family. Other reported partners include the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and another group involving former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Breese and Vuori founder Joe Kudla. Sycuan, which operates a casino in San Diego, must undergo further scrutiny if it owns a certain percentage of the team. The 53-year-old Feliciano has an estimated net worth of $3.9 million, according to Forbes. Born in Bayaman, Puerto Rico, the 53-year-old Feliciano attended Princeton and earned his masters of business administration at Stanford. Clearlake, with headquarters in Santa Monica, was founded in 2006 by Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali. The company is the 12th-largest private-equity firm in the world, having managed more than $45 billion in capital, as of June. In 2022, Feliciano and Clearlake were part of the group that purchased the men’s soccer team Chelsea of the English Premier League. The next step in the sale is for Feliciano and Jones to be vetted by MLB, then go up for a vote of the other 29 owners. The new group must be approved by 75% of the owners (23 votes). For ceremonious reasons, that vote is traditionally unanimous. That vote could take place soon. The next owners meeting is scheduled for June. View full article

Ethan Salas homered for the fourth time in eight days in the San Antonio Missions' 7-2 loss at Tulsa, while Jack Costello drove in four runs and homered in the Fort Wayne TinCaps' 6-2 win at South Bend. The Lake Elsinore Storm rode a five-run seventh inning to a 10-7 win at Ontario, where Justin DeCriscio doubled three times, and Pablo Reyes homered in El Paso's 26-8 loss at Albuquerque. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres sent 3B Will Wagner on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso Chihuahuas transferred RHP Justin Yeager to the Development List. Chihuahuas Blasted By Isotopes All seven pitchers for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up runs as the host Albuquerque Isotopes had two seven-run innings en route to a 26-8 throttling. The Isotopes scored four in the second inning, seven in the third, seven in the fifth, two in the sixth, two in the seventh and four in the eighth. Eight of the nine Isotopes hitters had multiple hits and all nine drove in at least one run and scored at least one run. Missions pitchers surrendered 23 hits and issued 13 walks. The only pitcher who didn't allow a walk was second baseman Nate Mondou, who came on to pitch the ninth. Left-handed starter Marco Gonzales allowed four runs in two innings, right-hander Triston McKenzie gave up six without recording an out, left-hander Miguel Cienfuegos one run in two innings, right-hander Garrett Hawkins six runs in two-thirds of an inning, right-hander Ethan Routzahn three runs in 1⅓ and right-hander Eli Villalobos two runs in one inning. Mondou gave up four runs in the eighth. Offensively for the Missions, Carlos Rodriguez and Nick Solak each had three-hit games, while Pablo Reyes drove in three, including a two-run homer in the ninth, Jose Miranda had a two-run double in the seventh to pull the Missions within 20-5 and Marcos Castanon also drove in a pair. EP_0501.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carlos Rodríguez (CF) 6 0 3 0 0 0 Will Wagner (2B) 2 1 1 0 1 1 Clay Dungan (2B) 1 0 0 0 0 0 Samad Taylor (RF) 5 1 2 0 0 1 Nick Solak (LF) 5 2 3 0 0 0 Pablo Reyes (3B) 5 1 2 3 0 0 Jose Miranda (1B) 3 1 1 2 1 0 Mason McCoy (SS) 5 2 2 1 0 0 Marcos Castañon (DH) 4 0 2 2 1 0 Rodolfo Durán (C) 4 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Marco Gonzales (L, 1-2) 2 5 4 4 2 1 0 Triston McKenzie 0 2 6 6 4 0 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 Garrett Hawkins 2/3 4 6 6 2 0 1 Ethan Routzahn 1 1/3 3 3 3 3 2 1 Eli Villalobos 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 Nate Mondou 1 6 4 4 0 0 0 Ethan Salas Homers Again, Jagger Haynes K's 8, But Missions Fall The Ethan Salas power show continued and Jagger Haynes struck out a season-high eight, but the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped a 7-2 decision to the host Tulsa Drillers, who scored four times in the seventh inning. Salas, Albert Fabian and Braedon Karpathios each had two hits for the Missions. The 19-year-old Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, hadn't homered until he went deep a week ago Friday. That was the first of three consecutive games he played in which he homered. After two more homerless games, one as a pinch-hitter, Salas cranked out his fourth homer of the season when he drilled a homer to lead off the game on an 0-2 pitch. It stayed 1-0 until the Drillers scored twice in the fourth. In the top of the sixth, Leandro Cedeno walked, Fabian singled him to third and Ryan Jackson had an RBI single to right to tie it 2-2. But the Drillers took control in the seventh. Three of the first four batters walked then, after a lineout, a hit by pitch snapped the tie and a bases-clearing double made it 6-2. Two singles and two more walks put the Drillers up 7-2 in the eighth. Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 7 prospect, went a season-high six innings, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and his season-best eight strikeouts, with his last two being two of the Los Angeles Dodgers' key prospects in Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope. Haynes had a season-high six strikeouts last week against Amarillo. SA_0501.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas (C) 4 1 2 1 1 0 Romeo Sanabria (1B) 5 0 0 0 0 1 Leandro Cedeño (DH) 3 1 0 0 1 0 Albert Fabian (LF) 4 0 2 0 0 0 Ryan Jackson (SS) 4 0 1 1 0 1 Braedon Karpathios (RF) 3 0 2 0 1 0 Luis Verdugo (3B) 4 0 0 0 0 2 Carson Tucker (2B) 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kai Murphy (CF) 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 6 3 2 2 1 8 0 Andrew Dalquist (L, 0-2) 2/3 0 4 4 3 0 0 Andrew Thurman 1 1/3 3 1 1 2 1 0 Jack Costello Homers, Drives In 4 Late To Lift TinCaps Former University of San Diego star Jack Costello drove in four runs, including a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning, and a homer as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps topped the host South Bend Cubs 6-2. The TinCaps trailed 2-0 after the Cubs scored twice in the second inning, and trimmed it to 2-1 in the fourth. Carlos Rodriguez walked and Zach Evans singled him to third. Dylan Grego bounced into a double play that scored Rodriguez. In the seventh, there were two outs when Lamar King Jr. walked and stole second and Alex McCoy, who singled earlier and has reached base in 20 straight games, walked. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third and Jake Cunningham was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch tied the game and Costello hit a line-drive single to center to put the TinCaps up 4-2. That hit extended his hitting streak to seven games. Costello, a 10th-round draft choice in 2023 whose career high of five RBIs came in his fourth professional game with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm that same year, put a nail in this one in the ninth. With two outs, Cunningham singled and Costello hit his third homer of the season for a 6-2 lead. His four RBIs are the most he has had in 131 games with Fort Wayne. Left-hander Kash Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, started and went 3⅔ innings, giving up two runs on three hits with five walks and four strikeouts. The bullpen did a terrific job, getting out of three jams and leaving the Cubs 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Right-hander Tucker Musgrove had the bases loaded in the seventh when he struck out a pair and got a groundout. Clay Edmondon picked up his Midwest League-best fourth save by coming on in the eighth and striking out all four batters he faced. FW_0501.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Kasen Wells (CF) 5 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo (2B) 5 0 1 0 0 1 Lamar King Jr. (DH) 3 1 0 0 2 0 Alex McCoy (LF) 3 1 1 0 2 0 Jake Cunningham (RF) 2 2 1 0 2 0 Jack Costello (1B) 4 1 2 4 1 1 Carlos Rodriguez (C) 4 1 0 0 1 2 Zach Evans (3B) 4 0 2 0 0 0 Dylan Grego (SS) 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kash Mayfield 3 2/3 3 2 2 5 4 0 C.J. Widger 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Luis Germán (W, 1-0) 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Tucker Musgrove (H, 2) 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 3 0 Clay Edmondson (S, 4) 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 4 0 Trio Helps Storm Make Late Push To Get Past Tower Buzzers Justin DeCriscio doubled three times, while Victor Duarte and Luke Cantell each had three hits and drove in three runs as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm scored five times in the seventh inning to pull out a 10-7 victory over the host Ontario Tower Buzzers. Truitt Madonna walked twice and scored twice and Qrey Lott also scored two runs for the Storm. Lake Elsinore trailed 4-1 after three innings and it was still that score entering the sixth. Lott had a leadoff single and DeCriscio hit his second double of the game to put Lott on third. One out later, Duarte looped a two-run single to left to make it 4-3. The Storm took control in the seventh. Kerrington Cross drew a one-out walk and Lott and Ryan Wideman were hit by pitches to load the bases. DeCriscio hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game. Lott and Wideman pulled a double steal to put them on third and second, then a balk brought in Lott with the go-ahead run. Madonna walked and Duarte pulled a double down the third-base line, scoring Wideman. Another balk brought in Madonna to make it 7-4. Cantwell then singled home Duarte to cap the five-run outburst for an 8-4 advantage. In the ninth, the Storm added two more runs on DeCriscio's third double of the game, a Madonna walk, Duarte's bunt single to load the bases and Cantwell's two-run single to right. The Tower Buzzers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth. Storm left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 3 prospect, allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 3⅓ innings. Right-hander Daichi Moriki and left-hander Javier Chacon combined for 3⅔ shutout innings. Right-hander Will Koger picked up his first save of the season despite allowing the two ninth-inning runs, pitching the final 1⅓ innings. LE_0501.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman (CF) 4 1 1 0 0 1 Justin DeCriscio (LF) 4 2 3 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna (C) 3 2 0 0 2 2 Victor Duarte (1B) 5 1 3 3 0 1 Luke Cantwell (DH) 4 0 3 3 1 1 Jorge Quintana (SS) 5 0 0 0 0 1 Jose Verdugo (2B) 4 1 0 0 1 1 Kerrington Cross (3B) 3 1 1 0 1 1 Qrey Lott (RF) 3 2 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 3 1/3 4 4 3 3 5 1 Daichi Moriki 1 2/3 1 0 0 2 2 0 Javier Chacon (W, 4-0) 2 2 0 0 3 3 0 Sean Barnett 2/3 1 1 1 3 1 0 Will Koger (S, 1) 1 1/3 2 2 2 1 4 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kash Mayfield: 3⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K Ethan Salas: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, RBI, BB Kruz Schoolcraft: 3⅓ IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, HR Bradgley Rodriguez: DNP Humberto Cruz: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ty Harvey: DNP Jorge Quintana: 0-for-5, K Kale Fountain: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-4, R, K, SB Jagger Haynes: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 SB Romeo Sanabria: 0-for-5, K Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K Michael Salina: DNP Garrett Hawkins: ⅔ IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, HR Kavares Tears: DNP Deivid Coronil: DNP Francis Pena: DNP Bryan Balzer: DNP View full article

There have been several offensive surprises in the first month of this season for the San Diego Padres. Catcher Luis Campusano has a team-leading 1.054 OPS, shortstop Xander Bogaerts is showing why he is being paid $280 million, superstar right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to hit a home run and Jake Cronenworth has one of the worst OPS in MLB among qualified players. Then there is Ty France. The former San Diego State star, born in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey and a West Covina High School alum, had to settle for signing a minor-league contract as spring training began with the team that drafted him in the 34th round in 2015. This came after he won the 2025 AL Gold Glove for first basemen and was part of the World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays after a trade from the Minnesota Twins. But France has made the most out of his second chance with the Padres. As a non-roster invite to spring training, he didn't have a major-league job guaranteed. But he showed a worthy bat, putting together a .306/.352/.510 slash line with two homers and 12 RBIs in 19 Cactus League games. That performance allowed France to take advantage of infielder Sung-Mun Song's oblique injury and snag the final bench spot. Still, he seemed third on the depth chart at first base behind left-handed-hitting Gavin Sheets and right-handed-hitting Nick Castellanos, who had never played first base before as an MLB player but was up for anything after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies. It was France's defense that would get him any playing time. If he could produce offensively, that would be a bonus. He even tried his hand at second and third base in spring training to make himself more valuable. The knock on France was that he doesn't produce the offense expected out of a first baseman. It is typically a power position, but France came into 2026 with a grand total of 81 homers in seven seasons, with a peak of 20 in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, meaning that he averaged about 10 homers a year otherwise. His career slash line entering this year was .262/.334/.400, which made him a slightly above-average hitter with a 108 OPS+. He doesn't walk much, nor does he strike out a ton. This year has been different, though. The 31-year-old, whether he just relaxed and let his play do the talking or became more focused knowing his playing days could be coming to an end, has thrived with the Padres. In fact, France might be the most indispensable player they have had in the opening month. Entering this weekend's series against the Chicago White Sox, France is second to Campusano in OPS with .911, including a slash line of .289/.333/.578. His OPS+ is at a career high of 148. He already has three homers after hitting seven a year ago. In particular, France has been very integral to the offense in the last week. He had three straight multi-hit games entering Wednesday, going 6-for-11 with a walk and seven RBIs. Four of those RBIs came in Monday's series-opening 9-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs, with a two-run double and a two-run triple plus a stolen base. It was his first triple since 2022. That came two days after hitting two solo homers in Mexico City in a 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, just his third career multi-homer game, so France is one of the few Friars in a good groove offensively. He has been valuable when in the starting lineup. Entering Wednesday, he had a slash line of .325/.372/.650 in 12 starts (1.022 OPS), hitting safely in seven of his previous nine starts. That production has proven valuable for a Padres offense that is still waiting on its main cogs, Tatis, Cronenworth and superstar third baseman Manny Machado, to get going. The Padres' .693 team OPS ranked 22nd in MLB after Wednesday's action, a far cry from what they were hoping for entering the season. Still, they rank in the top half in runs per game (13th, 4.63) thanks to the contributions of players like France. While still not having enough plate appearances to officially rate in Statcast categories, you can see that his numbers this year are much better than last year. In particular, his average exit velocity this year is at 92.9 mph, up from 89.5; likewise, his hard-hit percentage is at 56.1%, up from 44.2%. His barrel rate has also increased from 7.7% last year to 17.1% this year. France has been a nice right-handed complement to Sheets at first base, with Castellanos now the bench player in the most vulnerable position on the roster. Castellanos started in left field Wednesday and hit his first homer of the season, which might signal he is finally adjusting to his bench role after being a career starter. Only two of those starts have been at first due to France's presence—Castellanos has mainly been a designated hitter when he has started. When Song, currently at Triple-A El Paso, was brought up as the extra player for the Mexico City Series, there was chatter that Castellanos' time with the Padres could be coming to an end. Song would bring more versatility to the bench as he can play third, second and shortstop. Castellanos, though, had a couple big hits in the Cubs series. But that has been the trickle down from France's good spring and continued contributions through the first month of the regular season. If France can keep this up for the remainder of the season, he'll effectively supply the Friars with what they were hoping to get out of Castellanos, only with better defense. Once Tatis, Machado and Cronenworth get going, France's production may not be as noticeable, but it will make this offense that much better. View full article