News Padres Team Notes

[San Diego Padres]

Dylan Cease continues to struggle, Padres lose

Dylan Cease | Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

San Diego shutdown by Brandon Pfaadt, finishes with four hits

The San Diego Padres needed their de facto ace Dylan Cease to deliver a performance similar to the one provided by rotation mate Nick Pivetta on Tuesday night. Cease failed to even come close to matching the performance and surrendered six runs to the Arizona Diamondbacks and watched them cruise to an 8-2 win at Petco Park, Wednesday.

Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove started the 2025 season on the IL and Cease and Michael King were expected to become 1A and 1B in the Padres rotation. Then King made his way to the IL and Cease was expected to be the top pitcher in the San Diego rotation.

To this point in the season, based on his performances, Cease has not assumed the role of “Ace” of the Padres staff. A good performance against the Diamondbacks would have gone a long way on multiple fronts to show he was ready to take that title.

Cease, however, allowed solo home runs in the third and fourth innings, giving Arizona a 2-0 lead, heading into the top of the fifth. That’s the inning when the night went from bad to worse as the Diamondbacks added for runs to their total on the strength of a Geraldo Perdomo grand slam to make the score, 6-0.

Geraldo Perdomo - Arizona Diamondbacks (10)
pic.twitter.com/zNa0z6JxcM

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) July 10, 2025​

Cease allowed a one-out walk to James McCann and a single to Alek Thomas before he got Corbin Carroll to strikeout to give him two outs in the frame. With McCann and Thomas on, Cease walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Perdomo delivered the difference-making swing.

San Diego was able to get a run on a Bryce Johnson RBI-groundout in the bottom of the fifth to score Xander Bogaerts and make the score, 6-1. The Padres added a second run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Gavin Sheets led off with a solo home run to cut the deficit to, 6-2.

Gavin Sheets solo home run!!#ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/5xMvOrXwin

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) July 10, 2025​

That was all the scoring for San Diego and the Padres watched as the Diamondbacks added a run on an RBI-groundout in the top of the eighth and a solo home run by Carroll in the top of the ninth to put Arizona up, 8-2.

Corbin Carroll with homer #21 on the season!

He leads all NL outfielders in SLG% pic.twitter.com/ITZxMW7QC0

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 10, 2025​

Cease finished the night with six innings pitched. He allowed six runs on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. He allowed three home runs on the night.

Pfaadt, meanwhile, completed eight innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He allowed one home run on the solo shot by Sheets in the seventh.

The San Diego offense did not provide much support for Cease and the rest of the Padres pitching staff. San Diego managed just four hits in 31 at-bats and the hits were spread over four different Padres.

San Diego finishes the series with Arizona, Thursday at 6:40 p.m.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/9/24464942/dylan-cease-continues-to-struggle-padres-lose

 

[San Diego Padres]

Padres Michael King’s return seen as significant trade deadline addition

San Diego Padres Michael King | Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images

The Friars’ starting rotation is missing their star pitcher

The San Diego Padres did some roster maneuvering to bring Yu Darvish back on the 40-man roster and start the opening game of a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team transferred Michael King to the 60-day injured list, but the move did not change his timeline to return to the roster this season.

No confirmation on King’s return date​

King was scratched from a May 24 start after experiencing a knot in his right shoulder. Padres manager Mike Shildt thought his star pitcher might have slept wrong on his arm. However, the pain kept lingering. Team doctors diagnosed the righthander with a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder.

There is no confirmed return date, but the Padres are cautiously optimistic that King could be back on the mound in August. It is not wrong to envision his return as a significant trade deadline addition.

Shildt confirmed King would be out indefinitely to MLB.com Padres writer AJ Cassavell

“I think that’s pretty accurate. I don’t think we can begin to put a date on it. … As we all know, the further away he is from it, the longer it takes to get back.”

However, King threw a bullpen today and he seems happy about it.

Michael King threw all his pitches and got up to 91 mph in his bullpen today. I think it's safe to say he REALLY wants to get back ASAP

More from @sdutKevinAcee: https://t.co/vybuO4Z2jJ pic.twitter.com/wcMhghkhaX

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) July 11, 2025​

King’s future is up in air​

King was off to an outstanding start to the 2025 season. He posted a 4-2 record with a 2.59 ERA in 10 starts. His walk-to-strikeout ratio is impressive, as King walked only 7.6% of the batters he faced, while striking out 28.4% of them.

The unexpected injury has put a damper on his chances of receiving a big-money free agent contract this winter. A pinched nerve is a challenging condition to treat, as rest is often the most effective course of action for recovery. It might be best for King to exercise the mutual option in his current deal and play in San Diego next season. It allows him to add another season of quality pitching stats to his resume.

The mutual option is beneficial for the Friars as well. They cannot afford to lose one of their top starting pitchers, as it has been a patchwork effort following Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease in the rotation. The mutual option allows them to keep the majority of their rotation intact for the 2026 season.

Padres must be cautious with his rehab​

The Padres are taking baby steps in beginning King’s extensive rehab throwing program. His arm will need to be built back up. King has started throwing off a slope.

The next step is throwing 100% from a mound before live bullpen sessions and then progressing to rehab starts with one of the Friars’ minor league affiliates. His recovery days must be without pain and discomfort in the shoulder before the Friars would consider King a starting pitching option in a game.

It would not be a stretch to expect him to be a bit rusty once he returns to the majors. It will be hard at first to execute his two-strike pitches for swing-and-misses. The Friar Faithful must keep the faith that King’s command will return in short order without delay.

The Padres need reinforcements for their starting rotation in the second half of the season. A healthy King on the mound renews the hope that the team is poised to make a serious run to the postseason.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...n-seen-as-significant-trade-deadline-addition

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: Another All-Star reliever!

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 12, 2025.

Articles to read​

Fan Survey Results: They don’t matter anymore because Adrian Morejon is an All-Star! (me)

Padres Minor League Update: Week 15 (Cheri Bell, Gaslamp Ball)

Talking with … Padres All-Star relief pitcher Jason Adam (Annie Heilbrunn, SD U-T)

Padres do just enough to edge Phillies in series opener (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

Three’s a crowd: Adrián Morejón joins Padres relievers headed to All-Star Game (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

Padres takeaways: An untenable catching situation, Ethan Salas update, trade factors (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)

With Morejon added, Padres the first club to boast 3 All-Stars in bullpen (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

The 2025 Draft begins on Sunday! Here’s the latest mock (Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/12/24466218/good-morning-san-diego-another-all-star-reliever

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: A win against Wheeler!

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 13, 2025.

Articles to read​

Padres hope drop in batting order will awaken Jackson Merrill’s bat (Thomas Conroy, Gaslamp Ball)

Padres take second game against Phillies, will look to sweep Sunday (Matt DeWalt, Gaslamp Ball)

Padres offense appears; more All-Stars (Cheri Bell, Gaslamp Ball)

Jackson Merrill homers twice, 5 relievers lock down Padres’ win over Phillies (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Padres notes: Yu Darvish building, Nick Pivetta’s Game, Leo De Vries in Atlanta (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

Merrill breaks out in a big way with 2 HRs vs. Wheeler (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/13/24466799/good-morning-san-diego-a-win-against-wheeler

 

[San Diego Padres]

Padres drop final game against Phillies

Jose Iglesias | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

San Diego heads into All-Star break at 52-44

The San Diego Padres elected to use David Morgan against the Philadelphia Phillies in the top of the eighth inning. Morgan replaced Adrian Morejon, who had just allowed a one-out double to Bryce Harper.

Morgan recorded a strikeout of Nick Castellanos, but fell behind J.T. Realmuto. The veteran catcher took advantage of the count being in his favor and lined a double into the left-center gap that allowed Harper to score to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead en route to a win at Petco Park, Sunday.

#Phillies 2 @ #Padres 1 [T8–2o]:

J.T. Realmuto doubles: line drive to CF
Hit: 105.2mph, 361ft, 18°, .631xBA

Pitch: 88.0mph Slider (RHP D.Morgan)#RingTheBell #ForTheFaithful #MLB pic.twitter.com/z7THsap4TU

— MLB Run Videos (@MLBRBIs) July 13, 2025​

Philadelphia enjoyed a 1-0 lead throughout the contest. The run came in the top of the first inning after the San Diego defense committed two errors, with the second being a throwing error charged to Luis Arraez, with two outs in the inning, that allowed Bryce Harper to score, Bryson Stott to reach safely and the inning to continue.

#Phillies 1 @ #Padres 0 [T1-2o]:

Bryson Stott reaches on error: ground ball to 1B
Hit: 84.2mph, 23ft, -3°, .161xBA

Pitch: 80.4mph Curveball (RHP N.Pivetta)#RingTheBell #ForTheFaithful #MLB pic.twitter.com/UsAsp3dlod

— MLB Run Videos (@MLBRBIs) July 13, 2025​

The Padres needed six innings before they were able to break through and scratch a run off Philadelphia starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez. The Phillies starter worked 7 1/3 innings and did so on just 86 pitches.

Jackson Merrill came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning with two on and no outs certainly looking to replicate his recent success at the plate. He elected to drop down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts to advance to third and second base respectively.

Jose Iglesias followed the unselfish at-bat by Merrill with a hard ground ball up the middle that deflected off the glove of Bryson Stott, who was playing in, and the ball rolled into center field. Machado came in to score and the Padres tied the game, 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Jose Iglesias hits an RBI single to center, tying the game at 1 in the 6th#ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/TlRJ2CIIDQ

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) July 13, 2025​

Bogaerts advanced to third and Iglesias was satisfied with the RBI-single. Luis Campusano, who was making his return to the MLB lineup, failed to keep the momentum going in San Diego’s favor as he bounced into a ground ball double play to end the frame.

Nick Pivetta, who will not be one of the five players representing the Padres in the MLB All-Star Game, Tuesday but maybe should be, continued his solid 2025 campaign with another 6 2/3 innings pitched against the Phillies. He allowed one unearned run on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Nick Pivetta strikes out eight in solid outing

Nick Pivetta strikes out eight batters over 6 2/3 innings in his solid outing against the Phillies

Phillies @ Padres#ForTheFaithful | July 13, 2025 pic.twitter.com/i1DffpJYxl

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) July 13, 2025​

San Diego will head into the All-Star break with a record of 52-44 and will return to action in Washington against the Nationals, Friday at 3:45 p.m.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/13/24467127/padres-drop-final-game-against-phillies

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: Padres pick Kruz Schoolcraft in first round

Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 14, 2025.

Articles to read​

Padres drop final game against Phillies (Matt DeWalt, Gaslamp Ball)

Padres start 2025 draft with a big high-school left-hander (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

Tom Krasovic: Padres need a backstop, but trade deadline comes with a catch (SD U-T)

Padres pleased with finish to first half even after throwing away chance to sweep Phillies (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Padres enter All-Star break with all signs pointing to an aggressive trade deadline (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)

Padres draft Kruz Schoolcraft, taking a high schooler No. 1 for ninth straight year (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)

Padres draft 6-foot-8 high school pitcher with their first pick (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...o-padres-pick-kruz-schoolcraft-in-first-round

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: Manny Machado bat 5th for National League in tonight’s All-Star Game

Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 15, 2025.

The NL's #AllStarGame starting lineup (Tuesday, 8 pm ET on @MLBONFOX):

Shohei Ohtani, DH
Ronald Acuña Jr., LF
Ketel Marte, 2B
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Manny Machado, 3B
Will Smith, C
Kyle Tucker, RF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
Paul Skenes, P

— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2025​

Articles to read​

Padres Reacts Survey: Are they a playoff team? (please participate!)

Padres select power pitcher with their first pick (Cheri Bell, Gaslamp Ball)

Padres notes: Adrian Morejón marvels at All-Star journey; talking Jackson Merrill (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Padres draft college seniors, allowing them to take a swing at catching prospects (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

Padres Day 2 draft tracker: Collecting college shortstops, arms to finish day (Jeff Sanders, SD U-T)

To fellow All-Stars, Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is ‘who you want to be’ as a player (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

‘Expectations just changed’ when Manny, Tatis arrived in SD (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...for-national-league-in-tonights-all-star-game

 

[San Diego Padres]

MLB All-Star Game Thread: American League vs. National League

Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images

Your game thread for July 15, 2025.

American League at National League, July 15, 2025, 5:00 p.m. PST​

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: FOX

Listen: ESPN Radio

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Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
• The commenting system was updated during the offseason. They’re still working on optimizing it for Game Day Threads like ours. If you don’t like clicking “Load More Comments”, remember that the “Z” key can be your friend. It loads up the latest comments automatically.

GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...ame-thread-american-league-vs-national-league

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: A couple days off for All-Stars before Padres resume play

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 16, 2025.

Articles to read​

Padres Reacts Survey: Are they a playoff team? (please participate!)

Padres gearing up to enjoy ‘fun second half’ (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

Padres have their moments in first All-Star Game decided by ‘swing-off’ (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

2025 MLB All-Star Game: Analysis, takeaways from Atlanta (ESPN)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...s-off-for-all-stars-before-padres-resume-play

 

[San Diego Padres]

Padres’ first-half takeaways: patchwork starting rotation and bottom of the order struggles

San Diego Padres Elias Diaz | Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

The odds are high that A.J. Preller will be active on the trade market before the July 31 deadline.

The San Diego Padres are in a difficult position. They had a decent week, going 4-3 and leading the final Wild Card spot by a half game. However, the Padres must play better in the second half to achieve a postseason berth.

Adjustments to the roster will be necessary. The Friars need to get healthy in the starting rotation and acquire a bat or two before the July 31 trade deadline.

Let’s take a look at the Padres first half takeaways:

Friars need a proven starter​

Since late May, the Padres were expected to shop for a starting pitcher before the trade deadline. Their intentions have remained unchanged even with the return of Yu Darvish to the rotation. The Friars need another arm ASAP.

Team president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller needs to acquire a proven commodity that can be slotted behind Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease, and Darvish. Time is running out for the Padres to wait for the return of Michael King to the starting rotation.

Randy Vasquez has done an outstanding job in the fifth starter role. But he has logged 94.2 innings pitched, which is just shy of last season’s total of 98.0 IP. The Friars cannot be caught shorthanded if Vasquez falters in the second half. It is wise to have a proven starter ready to pitch in big late-season games.

Padres need more production from bottom of the order​

Entering the second half of the 2025 season, the bottom of the Friars’ batting order must provide better production. The key to the team’s first-half success has been this part of the lineup’s ability to drive in runners in scoring position (RISP). In the Padres’ 52 wins, the 7-8-9 hitters batted .329 with RISP. In the 44 losses, they batted only .129 in the same situations. You need more consistency to prevent extended losing streaks.

So, where are the troubling spots? Well, we have discussed the lack of production from the left field position all season. Friars manager Mike Shildt responded by inserting Gavin Sheets as the everyday left fielder.

The production at the plate has been a clear upgrade, but his outfield defense is less than desirable. Sheets can catch every ball hit directly at him, but he has trouble defending the left field gap. His lack of athleticism fails to prevent the hitter from taking an extra base. The Friar Faithful should not question his commitment, but the Padres do not have another option available.

The catcher’s position has produced sporadically in the first half. Unfortunately, those moments have been too few and far between. The duties have been split between Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado, and both struggled to be productive with the bat.

Diaz is hitting .194 with four HR and 12 RBI in 76 games. Maldonado is batting .178 with four HR and 10 RBI in 56 games. The Friars cannot afford to start either player, no matter how good they are defensively. The lineup needs a right-handed hitting catcher with some power. However, you can expect some competition to secure a player with such services.

Despite all the speculation, the Padres might have enough trade chips to acquire a legit bat and pitcher at the trade deadline. Preller must find players who make an impact on the field each night.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...ng-rotation-and-bottom-of-the-order-struggles

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: First half reviews

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 17, 2025.

Articles to read​

Padres’ first-half takeaways: patchwork starting rotation and bottom of the order struggles (Thomas Conroy, Gaslamp Ball)

San Diego Padres first half review (Cheri Bell, Gaslamp Ball)

Tom Krasovic: Padres’ Nick Pivetta shows shades of Brown during intense, impressive first half (SD U-T)

All-Star selection shows San Diego again well represented in Major League Baseball and beyond (John Maffei, SD U-T)

Padres notes: Bullpen appreciation; Trevor Megill reminisces with Fernando Tatis Jr. (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Padres second-half storylines to watch, starting with the 2025 trade deadline (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown from 2025 All-Star Game (MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/17/24469168/good-morning-san-diego-first-half-reviews

 

[San Diego Padres]

San Diego Padres first half review

Adrian Morejon | Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The pitching has carried the team

The ceremonial first half of the season ended on Sunday and the All-Star break introduces the second half of the MLB season. Although there are only 66 games left, there is still plenty of time for the Padres and their competitors to stake a claim to the postseason.

With a 52-44 record, the Friars are in second place in the NL West. They sit five and half games behind the Dodgers and a half game in front of the Giants. They have a half game lead over those same Giants for the last Wild Card in the NL.

After doing a numbers assessment of the team after their first 96 games, it becomes apparent that the fast start in the first three weeks and the pitching strength has provided the Padres with the cushion they needed to stay afloat in the first half.

Offensive shortcomings

The Padres offense sits at 17th in average (.246), 23rd in OPS (.689), and 17th in OBP (.315) in baseball. Manny Machado leads most Padres offensive categories (HR, RBI, AVG, SLG, OPS). Fernando Tatis Jr. has the best OBP with .366. Tatis is one behind Machado with 16 home runs and Gavin Sheets is third with 14.

It seems obvious that those rankings aren’t what a playoff caliber team needs to maintain any playoff position. With a quick look it becomes obvious what the most pressing issues are with the Padres offense. Catching and left field stand out as the answer for most immediate upgrades needed. The DH position is also sorely lacking and actually has a worse ranking than left field.

The Padres catchers rank 27th in batting average (.195), and 29th in OPS (.561). The left field position sits at 19th in average (.231) and 27th in OPS (.614). The DH position is 28th in average (.207) and 29th in OPS (.573). Gavin Sheets has switched mostly between left field and DH for the Friars, and without his contributions these numbers would be markedly lower.

Considering these difficulties, it is remarkable that the team has maintained a winning record and held a spot that keeps them in playoff contention. Luckily, their offensive squad has mostly stayed healthy, Besides Jackson Merrill’s two stints on the IL, the majority of the offense has been intact. The prolonged slumps by Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and offensive struggles by Merrill have stunted the offense and forced the rest of the team to try make up the difference.

Pitching history

The back end of the Padres bullpen, termed the Four Horseman by manager Mike Shildt, has combined for a 2.50 ERA for the season. Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada and Robert Suarez have been dominant with few hiccups. They have usually held the opponents in close games and sent three (Adam, Morejon and Suarez) to the All-Star Game. It is the first time three relievers from one team has ever made a MLB All-Star Game.

Jason Adam has the lowest ERA (1.70) of all Padres relievers and ranks 6th in baseball for relievers with 40 innings pitched or more. Adrian Morejon is close behind with a 1.85 ERA in four less innings pitched.

The starters have had a roller coaster season so far. While Nick Pivetta (2.88 ERA) has the best starter performance in his 109.1 innings pitched, Dylan Cease has the worst ERA (4.88) in 103.1 innings pitched. Ryan Bergert has performed well in his small sample (2.84 ERA, 31.2 IP) and Michael King was leading the team when he went on the IL in May (2.59 ERA, 55.2 IP). Randy Vásquez has pitched like how a number four or five starter is expected to perform (3.80 ERA, 94.2 IP). Stephen Kolek and Kyle Hart have contributed starts but aren’t currently with the major league team.

Overall, the pitching staff ranks 6th in MLB with a 3.64 ERA. The starters sit at 14th (3.99 ERA) and the relievers 2nd (3.20 ERA).

When considering the status of the team, it is not difficult to envision better things ahead with some help at the bottom of the batting order and a bit more consistency from the starters. Yu Darvish has had two starts since returning from the IL and the most recent report on Michael King is hopeful for an August return. This should shore up the starting ranks and provide more second half depth.

General Manager A.J. Preller is on the clock. The trade deadline is July 31. A catcher, a left fielder/DH and a possible upgrade on the bench would seem likely before the end of the month. Mike Shildt has a reputation for managing second half teams. It was a definite advantage last season and we can keep our fingers crossed it will be for this one as well.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/16/24469083/san-diego-padres-first-half-review

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: Padres are back in action tonight

Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 18, 2025.

Articles to read​

Padres know it’s all about the offense in season’s second half (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Tom Krasovic: All-Star break a chance to reflect on Padres’ success on field, at turnstiles (SD U-T)

One defining stat for all 30 MLB teams to help you get caught up for the second half (Michael Charles, The Athletic)

MLB trade deadline tiers 2.0: Sorting through the buyers, sellers and ‘tailors’ (Chad Jennings and Tim Britton, The Athletic)

1 key player for each team as second half begins (MLB.com)

Double-A San Antonio’s flood relief efforts start with nod to impacted H.S. teams (Josh Jackson, MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...g-san-diego-padres-are-back-in-action-tonight

 

[San Diego Padres]

Fan Survey Results: Padres are a playoff team

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

San Diego is holding on to that final Wild Card spot

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in San Diego Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week, fans were asked if they thought the Padres are going to be a postseason team. At the break, they held on to the final Wild Card spot by a half game on the Giants and after tonight’s win over the Nationals they’re 1.5 up. Below are the results to this week’s poll:

No surprise the majority think San Diego is a postseason team and I’m on that side of this question too.

Are there weaknesses on the roster that A.J. Preller needs to address before the end of the month? Of course. But at the end of the day successful teams have a core of players that can consistently carry the squad to October and the Padres undoubtedly have that.

One of those guys started at third in the All-Star Game and then hit a grand slam to break things open tonight.

Slam Diego is back! pic.twitter.com/dcMa238IgF

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) July 19, 2025​

The others—Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth—have had good stretches in 2025 but need to have it all clicking come October.

Tatis (1.011 April OPS) and Merrill (1.090 April OPS) have failed to replicate that in another month this season. Bogaerts has been more encouraging as of late, as has Tatis, Merrill and Cronenworth, but even he’d agree his start to the season should’ve been better.

Luis Arraez and Gavin Sheets of course are important but they could be gone after this season.

The good news is all these guys are here for a reason: they’re better than most. Mike Shildt’s teams are second half teams too so watch out rest of the NL.

On the pitching side of things, having the upside of Dylan Cease and the potential dominance from Nick Pivetta (their best starter this year), Michael King (mid-August return hopefully) and Yu Darvish (just returned) can make for a World Series caliber four-man rotation.

Oh yeah...the bullpen. It’s ok. There are just THREE All-Stars at the back of it, the first time that’s happened in MLB history. Jeremiah Estrada (2.86 ERA) isn’t bad to have as your fourth high leverage reliever when he’d be a closer on some teams.

I’m just waiting for this group to get everyone back and see the deadline additions. Then that’s when I feel like those fans that voted no will turn to a yes.

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The results of this survey were brought to you by FanDuel.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/18/24470321/fan-survey-results-padres-are-a-playoff-team

 

[San Diego Padres]

Padres minor league update: week 16

Padres draft brings more prospects into system

The San Diego Padres minor league affiliates completed their first half and took a break while the major league teams celebrated their All-Stars.

Starter Matt Waldron had another good outing in the last game for the Chihuahuas before the break. In 6 IP, Waldron allowed six hits but only two runs in 90 pitches. He has a 3.82 ERA with El Paso. Stephen Kolek started the second to the last game with 3 IP, allowing five hits and a run in 60 pitches. He was followed in the same game by Kyle Hart for 3.2 IP with three hits allowed and two runs in 45 pitches.

Outfielder Albert Fabian completed his rehab with the ACL Padres and was assigned to San Antonio. Starter Brandon Nett left his start with San Antonio in the third inning with an injury suffered while he was pitching.

Catcher/first baseman Kaden Hollow completed his rehab with Lake Elsinore and was assigned to Fort Wayne. Outfielder Kasen Wells was assigned to the ACL Padres for rehab following the foot injury he suffered in May.

Shortstop Leodalis De Vries missed the last couple games of the first half in order to represent the organization in the All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta. He came in as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning and went 0 for 1 with a strikeout. He also played as the shortstop for the National team.

Scouting director chimes in on draft

Chris Kemp, Vice President of amateur and international scouting for the Padres, was the Friar Friday interview on July 18 with the 97.3 FM morning show (Ben & Woods). During the conversation, Kemp stated the Padres were surprised that first round selection Kruz Schoolcraft fell to them at #25. They viewed him as a top five prospect on their draft board. The 6’ - 8” lefty has a lot of projection to grow into while he matures (he is currently ranked the #3 prospect in the system per Jeff Saunders of the San Diego Union-Tribune in his post-draft rankings).

The third round pick, outfielder Ryan Wideman, is a plus runner and will probably stick in centerfield. The Padres considered him the best raw athlete in the draft. They saw him in the 50-60 range on their draft board and they were able to grab him at #99 (third round). His swing mechanics will need some work as he starts his pro career.

The organization opted to go heavy on senior and fifth year college players for much of the second day in order to save their bonus money for the two high school catchers they drafted in the fifth and eleventh rounds. Both Ty Harvey and Truitt Madonna are viewed as high upside athletes. Both are viewed by the organization as being first round picks if they opt to have college careers. They both have college commitments and the organization will need to use the money they saved on drafting older college players in order to sign both over their slot suggestions.

After the draft was completed the scouting group shifted into “21st round crew” mode and began calling the players not drafted during the 20 rounds. Kemp reported that they have already signed about 10 players from the undrafted ranks. It was also highlighted that both current bullpen arm David Morgan, and rapidly progressing starter Braden Nett came from the 2022 undrafted free agent class.

While discussing pitchers, Kemp pointed out that fourth round pick, Michael Salinas, underwent Tommy John surgery during his final season and will be doing the completion of his rehab with the organization after he signs. The Padres view him as a Jeremiah Estrada-type of reliever.

The minor league season has now resumed and the signing of the draft picks will begin. More evaluation of the new players will start after they have signed and some will begin playing in coming weeks as well as in the Fall League when the current season ends.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/19/24470607/padres-minor-league-update-week-16

 

[San Diego Padres]

Missed opportunities in the eighth cost Padres

Yu Darvish | Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

San Diego drops second game against Washington, 4-2

The San Diego Padres had runners at second and third with no outs to start the top of the eighth inning. Manny Machado struck out, Gavin Sheets hit a tapper on the infield that resulted in the runner at third, Fernando Tatis Jr., being tagged out and Xander Bogaerts lined out to right field.

The inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position, a season-long ailment for the Padres, was magnified in the eighth and San Diego dropped the second game of the series to the Washington Nationals, 4-2.

Yu Darvish started on the mound for the Padres and completed five innings in his third start of the season. He allowed three runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Darvish ran into trouble with two outs in the bottom of the second after a single, double and single to consecutive batters that allowed the Nationals to take a 2-0 lead.

San Diego responded in the top of the third inning with two runs on an RBI-double by Martin Maldonado and an RBI-single by Luis Arraez. The Padres tied the game 2-2 and that is where the score remained until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Luis Arraez lines a single to center, scoring Martín Maldonado to tie the game at 2 #ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/UZoN9FaiPR

— San Diego Strong (@PadresStrong) July 20, 2025​

Daylen Lile earned a leadoff walk against Darvish to start the fifth. He then moved to second base on a ground out. Lile advanced to third on a single by Jacob Young and scored one batter later when CJ Abrams grounded out to Jake Cronenworth. The inning ended when Darvish got James Wood to ground out, but Washington had a 3-2 lead.

San Diego saw the Nationals make it a two-run game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Yuki Matsui allowed a two-out solo home run to Nathaniel Lowe that stretched the Washington lead to 4-2.

Nathaniel Lowe - Washington Nationals (15)
pic.twitter.com/grn5iFjdKt

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) July 20, 2025​

The Padres finished their series with the Nationals, Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/19/24470751/missed-opportunities-in-the-eighth-cost-padres

 

[San Diego Padres]

San Diego routes Washington to win rubber game

Xander Bogaerts | Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Xander Bogaerts hits first-inning grand slam to ignite Padres offense

The San Diego Padres wasted no time in providing run support to starter Nick Pivetta. The San Diego offense staked Pivetta to a five-run lead before he threw a single pitch and the Padres cruised to an 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday.

Xander Bogaerts delivered the critical blow to Nationals starter Mackenzie Gore with a first-pitch grand slam to give the Padres a 4-0 lead. San Diego added another run in the frame after back-to-back doubles by Jose Iglesias and Jake Cronenworth to give San Diego a 5-0 lead after the top of the first.

SLAM DIEGO? SLAM DIEGO. pic.twitter.com/wy6mhJDYZP

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 20, 2025​

The San Diego offense added on in the second and third innings and took a commanding 8-0 lead after three innings against Gore. The two-run top of the third was capped by a two-run home run by Elias Diaz.

Díaz of our Lives! pic.twitter.com/ouygkarLo5

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 20, 2025​

Pivetta pitched without pressure and with purpose through six innings thanks to the offensive outburst by the Padres in the first. He allowed a run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts. The lone run allowed by Pivetta came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Riley Adams hit a solo home run to right field to make the score, 8-1.

Riley Adams - Washington Nationals (5)
pic.twitter.com/WjjdYOXyaY

— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) July 20, 2025​

Bogaerts finished the day 2-for-4 with the grand slam, a single, a walk, a run scored and four RBI. Iglesias, Cronenworth, Bryce Johnson and Diaz each finished with two hits in the game.

The Padres head to Miami to take on the Marlins, Monday at 3:40 p.m.

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/20/24471084/san-diego-routes-washington-to-win-rubber-game

 

[San Diego Padres]

Good Morning San Diego: Padres on to Miami after mashing Gore

Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Everything you need to know about your San Diego Padres on the morning of July 21, 2025.

Articles to read​

San Diego routes Washington to win rubber game (Matt DeWalt, Gaslamp Ball)

Padres jump on Nationals early, cruise to series-clinching victory (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Bogaerts’ slam in big first inning backs Pivetta’s quality start (Paige Leckie, MLB.com)

Darvish shows improvement in third start off IL: ‘He’s effectively back’ (Paige Leckie, MLB.com)

Each team’s prospect to watch in the second half (MLB.com)

Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/...n-diego-padres-on-to-miami-after-mashing-gore