San Diego Padres News

San Diego Padres second baseman/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. went 0-for-13 in the team's three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins over the weekend, but he quickly put that out of his memory in the team's 8-7 win over the division-rival Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on Tuesday night. Tatis went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with five singles, two walks, and a run scored to boost his season average to .285 and his OPS to .753. After a very slow start to the year and a lengthy homer drought, Tatis is now hitting a strong .285/.353/.400 with eight home runs, 49 RBI, 25 stolen bases, and 54 runs scored in 106 games across 469 plate appearances in his seventh year in the big leagues. The three-time All-Star now has four multi-hit efforts in his last 11 games and is batting .290 (27-for-93) with an .840 OPS, three home runs, five doubles, a triple, 16 RBI, six steals, and 17 runs scored in 23 games in July. After hitting just one homer through May, Tatis has seven home runs since the start of June. He remains a must-start in all fantasy formats the rest of the way.

San Diego Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas is being promoted to Triple-A El Paso, according to Chase Ford of MiLB Central. Salas is viewed as the No. 1 prospect in the San Diego system and will now sit just one step away from the major leagues. The young backup endured some growing pains during the 2024 season and appeared in only 10 games last summer, but he has rebounded quite nicely in 2026. In 2024, Salas spent 111 games with High-A, where he held a .206/.288/.311 line with a low. 599 OPS. However, this season at Double-A, Salas has carried a sharp .286/.361/.417 slash line with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases. While a late-season MLB debut is unlikely, his promotion has kept the door open. The 20-year-old remains one of the top catching prospects in the entire sport and is the long-term answer behind the dish for the Padres.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (forearm) threw to live batters on Friday, marking a significant step forward in his recovery from a right flexor strain. The 33-year-old threw 20 pitches during the planned session, and if all goes well, the Padres expect him to face live hitters again next week. Sidelined since the middle of April, Pivetta has had little opportunity to make an impact in fantasy. With just 16.0 innings pitched, the mid-round fantasy pick has been unable to provide a return on the investment fantasy managers made during draft season. With this latest step forward, the hope is that he can begin a rehab assignment after a few more successful live batting practice sessions. If all goes well, he has a chance to return for the final month of the regular season.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session on Friday. He tossed 23 pitches, and while that is fewer than the nearly 40 pitches he threw a week earlier, facing live hitters is a much more significant step. This marks another major milestone for the 33-year-old hurler, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery in October 2024. He is set to throw again at some point next week, and will likely need to throw multiple live batting practice sessions before being assigned to a rehab assignment. However, if he continues to check all the boxes, there is a chance he could be activated from the Injured List sometime in September. That said, it's unclear whether he will be eased back into action after such a long layoff, which caps his fantasy upside for the 2026 season.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado went hitless in the first three games out of last week's All-Star break over the weekend, but he's turned things around so far this week and had another big game offensively in Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Machado went 2-for-5 at the plate with two solo home runs and a strikeout to raise his season average to .204 and his OPS to .727. The 34-year-old veteran and seven-time All-Star has been a disappointment average-wise and with a .294 on-base percentage, but he's now up to 22 home runs on the year and has added 59 RBI, 50 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 413 plate appearances, so he has still been an asset in counting stats and for his power. Machado also homered in Monday's series opener in Atlanta, so he's gone deep three times in the last two days after going 0-for-9 over the weekend in the series in Kansas City against the Royals. So far in 16 games and 69 plate appearances in July, Machado is hitting .281 (16-for-57) with a 1.005 OPS, six home runs, a double, 13 RBI, 10 runs, and a steal. Fantasy managers who bought low on him have been pleased.

ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that the San Diego Padres are considering trading right-handed closer Mason Miller, less than a year after giving up one of the top prospects in baseball in shortstop Leo De Vries, to acquire him. The Padres would love to attach shortstop Xander Bogaerts' contract to any trade, which would severely limit the return for Miller, but Passan doesn't think any team will want to take Bogaerts. There will be plenty of teams in on Miller if SD is serious about moving him since the flamethrowing righty is a game-changer in the ninth inning. Passan lists the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Tampa Bay Rays as the best fits if Miller is actually dealt. If the Padres don't turn things around soon -- they sit 13.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and 2.5 games out of the final NL wild-card spot with four teams in front of them -- Miller could be an ex-Padre by Aug. 3. Miller has been one of the most dominant relievers of all time in 2026, sporting a 101.3 mph fastball with a nasty slider that have helped him generate an absurd 48.4% strikeout rate in his 40 2/3 innings this year.

San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (forearm) threw a successful up-and-down bullpen session last Friday, manager Craig Stammen told Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan in San Diego. Pivetta threw around 15 to 20 pitches, took a break, and then threw another 15 to 20 pitches. The 33-year-old veteran had a career year in 2025 in his first season in SD, going 13-5 with a career-low 2.87 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 190 strikeouts and 50 walks in 181 2/3 innings across 31 regular-season starts. He made only four starts for the Friars in 2026 before being shut down on April 14 with a right-forearm flexor strain. Pivetta has been throwing off a mound for a few weeks and appears to be getting close to facing hitters, but he still has a ways to go and won't be eligible to return to the Padres' starting rotation until late August. If he cannot return by Aug. 22, the Padres could void the final two years and $32 million left on his deal. Pivetta is definitely motivated to return before late August, and he absolutely can help fantasy managers in all league formats. In his 16 innings this year before his injury, he had a 4.50 ERA (1.23 FIP), 1.12 WHIP, and 24:6 K:BB. UPDATE: Pivetta will throw live batting practice this week, per The San Diego Union-Tribune's Annie Heilbrunn.

For some reason, San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France just sees the ball better when he's playing against the Kansas City Royals. France continued his torrid hitting against KC in the Padres' 19-2 blowout victory on the road on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, going 2-for-6 at the plate with two home runs and five RBI to boost his season average to .275 and his OPS to .872. The 32-year-old veteran right-handed hitter hit a grand slam in the eighth inning and had a solo homer in the ninth to cap a rare offensive explosion for the Friars. The big performance from France extended his current hitting streak to seven games. During that span, he has four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and four multi-hit games as he continues to heat up during the summer. After the big day, France is hitting .275/.335/.537 with 14 home runs, 39 RBI, 28 runs scored, and a steal in his 243 plate appearances in his first year back in SD. He's been hot lately, but France has mostly been far too inconsistent with a limited power ceiling, which is why he's rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues. His .246 expected batting average also doesn't make him extremely attractive as a hitter to target in the second half.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill helped the Padres avoid a three-game sweep in Kansas City on Sunday against the Royals with a monster performance in the team's 19-2 rout at Kauffman Stadium. Kelly went 4-for-6 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, a stolen base, and a strikeout to boost his season batting average to .221 and his OPS to .640. It was the 23-year-old's first four-hit game and two-homer outing of the year, which was a nice way for him to snap an 0-for-13 slump offensively. With the stolen base, Merrill also reached the 20-steal mark for the first time in his career. Merrill has mostly been a speed asset in fantasy in what has otherwise been a disappointing third year in the majors. After the strong performance on Sunday against the Royals, Merrill is now slashing .221/.277/.363 with 12 home runs, 42 RBI, 45 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across his 407 plate appearances. The Padres and fantasy managers are really hoping that his Sunday outburst will get him rolling for the rest of the second half of the season.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (ankle) was activated off the 15-day Injured List on Sunday. Vasquez is back after landing on the IL on July 3 due to a right ankle bruise. The expectation is that Vasquez will start either Monday or Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. This season, Vasquez owns a 4.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and a 60/27 K/BB ratio across 17 games (16 starts). In a corresponding move, right-hander Jhony Brito was optioned to Triple-A El Paso. Before landing on the shelf, Vasquez allowed 14 earned runs over his last three outings. There is some deep league value for fantasy managers seeking pitching help, but Vasquez isn't a must-have player.

San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller would jump to the front of the New York Yankees' trade-deadline plans if he becomes available, according to The Daily News. New York has spent weeks looking for a right-handed-hitting catcher, but Miller is a different kind of target. He would help now and give the Yankees a long-term answer in the ninth inning, even if Aaron Judge's absence has them questioning how far this season can go. George Lombard Jr. is reportedly off limits, though the Yankees still have enough prospect depth to put together a serious offer. Miller has been almost untouchable, posting a 0.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 75 strikeouts, and 25 saves in 40 2/3 innings. He is under team control through 2029. A move to New York would put Miller in the ninth inning and push David Bednar into a setup role.

San Diego Padres infielder Xander Bogaerts has not lived up to his contract during his time with the organization. The Padres have Bogaerts locked up through 2033, but would reportedly like to get out of the contract. The speculation is that the Padres would attach Bogaerts in a potential Mason Miller trade at the deadline. It would be a shame to lose Miller, but Padres' fans would rejoice at being out of the $25 million per season owed to Bogaerts through 2033. This season, Bogaerts is slashing .224/.317/.331 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, and 12 steals in 91 games. The 33-year-old has almost no value by himself, so the Padres would likely have to package him with a superstar just to get out of the deal.

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth went into the break at .196/.286/.280 with three home runs, 17 runs, 12 RBI, and three steals in 45 games. Awful on its face. He also spent nearly two months on the concussion injured list after a 97 mph fastball hit him in the chin April 18. Cronenworth later described vision problems that made it difficult to track pitches, and he went 4-for-31 before San Diego finally shut him down. The return has been encouraging, not conclusive. Cronenworth hit .333/.349/.500 with two homers, eight RBI, and two steals in 43 July plate appearances before the break. His season-long contact quality still points to a limited ceiling, including an 87.6 mph average exit velocity, 32.4% hard-hit rate, and .345 expected slugging percentage. San Diego expects him to start against right-handers, with lefties potentially trimming the role. That is enough for a deeper-league buy, not a standard-league priority.

San Diego Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas saw his value take a hit during the 2025 season when he appeared in only 10 games due to injury. However, Salas had spent the entire 2026 season at Double-A and had rebounded quite nicely. Across 63 contests with San Antonio this season, the backstop has posted a strong .284/.353/.422 slash line with a .775 OPS. During this campaign, the catcher has gone deep seven times and has even chipped in 14 stolen bases. In his last full season (2024), Salas posted a .206/.288/.311 line with only four home runs and a mere 10 stolen bases. Seeing him not only rebound from his injury but produce career-best marks against tougher pitching is an excellent sign. The team's top-ranked prospect could earn a late-season call to Triple-A if he maintains this trajectory.

San Diego Padres left fielder Ramon Laureano (right hip) is not worth carrying into the second half. He underwent surgery June 5 to repair a torn labrum and now sits on the 60-day injured list. MLB lists October as the optimistic return window, with 2027 more likely. That makes the roster call easy in redraft leagues. Laureano had already slipped to .203/.286/.374 with seven homers, 23 runs, 21 RBI, and seven steals in 53 games before the procedure. The hip may help explain the collapse after he finished April at .252, but it does nothing for fantasy managers now. San Diego initially called up Jase Bowen, while Gavin Sheets started in left field throughout the final four games before the break. Keeper and dynasty managers can hold at minimal cost. Everyone else should cut him.

After an injury-marred 2025 campaign, San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill entered 2026 in search of a bounce-back season. That hasn't fully come to fruition yet, as he's hitting .219/.278/.350 with 10 home runs, 38 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases across 392 plate appearances on the year. After posting a 17% strikeout rate in his emergent 2024 rookie season, Merrill's strikeout rate is up to 25% in 2026. However, there's still reason to believe that the 23-year-old's batting average should improve in the second half of the season. His 44.9% hard-hit rate is a career-best, and Merrill's .274 batting average on balls in play is well below his career mark of .305. Even amidst his first-half struggles, Merrill still provided fantasy managers with solid counting stats and above-average speed. He profiles as a prime buy-low candidate coming out of the All-Star break.

San Diego Padres right-handed closer Mason Miller has been as dominant as any reliever we've ever seen in the first half of 2026, which begs the question: Should fantasy managers be selling high? In his 38 appearances (39 2/3 innings) in the first half of his first full season with the Friars, Miller has gone 2-1 with a 0.91 ERA (0.53 FIP), 0.78 WHIP, a National League-leading 25 saves, 72 strikeouts, and 13 walks. The flamethrowing closer is tied with Rays closer Bryan Baker for second in the big leagues in saves, just three behind the leader, Guardians closer Cade Smith. The two-time All-Star has a ridiculous 48.3% strikeout rate and just a 22.2% hard-hit rate. Most of the time when he enters a game, he makes the opposing lineup look silly with his triple-digit fastball and video-game slider. Miller ranks in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 100th percentile in strikeout rate, the 100th percentile in whiff rate, the 96th percentile in chase rate, and the 97th percentile in barrel rate, so the advanced metrics support his otherworldly dominance. The Padres most likely won't give in and trade Miller at this year's deadline, and fantasy managers should follow suit and hold him.

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado is back at the hot corner and is batting cleanup for the Friars in Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Merrill Kelly, per MLB.com. Machado didn't play in Wednesday night's 10-4 victory over the Snakes as a precaution after fouling a ball off his foot in Tuesday's win, but he'll be right back in there after just one day off. The 34-year-old seven-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner has 18 home runs in his 15th year in the big leagues, but he's also hitting a career-low .188 (61-for-324) with a career-high 22.7% strikeout rate in 374 plate appearances in 2026. Machado has picked things up a bit of late, though, going 15-for-59 (.254) with six home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI, 11 runs scored, and a stolen base in his last 17 games, dating back to June 20. He has plenty of experience against Kelly, but he's hit just .159 against him with a .458 OPS, one homer, and four RBI in 44 career at-bats.

Across 108 1/3 innings (19 starts) in 2026, San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King has recorded a 6-7 record with a 3.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 92 strikeouts. On the surface, King's numbers appear to be right in line with the quality level that he has established in recent seasons. However, the veteran right-hander's strikeout rate continues to decline. After posting a 27.7% strikeout rate in his first year with the Padres in 2024, King's strikeout rate fell to 24.7% in 2025 and is now down to 20.8% in 2026. King's 11.1% K-BB rate is below-average, and both his xERA (4.55) and FIP (4.03) suggest that he's currently outpitching his peripherals. The 31-year-old has also dealt with myriad injury issues in his career and has reached his current innings workload in just one other season. Between his declining strikeout rate and his shaky health track record, King might be a sell-high candidate for fantasy managers ahead of the All-Star break.

San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (forearm) threw a bullpen and did some fielding practice on Tuesday at Petco Park, according to Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Pivetta is slowly making progress after landing on the injured list in mid-April with a flexor strain in his right forearm. He was eventually moved to the 60-day IL, and barring a setback as he continues to ramp up his arm, a best-case scenario is probably for Pivetta to return to San Diego's starting rotation at some point in August. The 33-year-old Canadian was the Friars' best starting pitcher in 2025 in his first year with the club, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA (3.49 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with a career-high 190 strikeouts and 50 walks in 181 2/3 innings across 31 starts. He went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA (1.24 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with a 24:6 K:BB in 16 innings over four starts in 2026 before injuring his forearm. The expectation is that Pivetta will return in the second half, which has made him stash-worthy in the majority of fantasy leagues. Pivetta is currently rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues.