Padres' Bryce Johnson: Getting regular reps in right field
Rotowire
Johnson will start in right field and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Following his call-up from Triple-A El Paso on Monday, Johnson has now started in six consecutive games, with three apiece coming against left- and right-handed pitching. He's gone just 2-for-16 at the plate in the first five games, but he's drawn three walks while coming around to score twice. Johnson looks like he'll be the preferred option in right field over David Peralta while Fernando Tatis (quadricep) is on the injured list.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Luis Arraez: Raps three hits Saturday
Rotowire
Arraez went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk and two runs in Saturday's 11-1 win over the Red Sox.
Arraez notched his fourth multi-hit game over his past nine contests and his first three-hit performance of June. The infielder ranks third in the majors with a .315 average on the campaign, though he's at .325 since joining the Padres in a trade with Miami in early May. Arraez's minuscule 5.7 percent strikeout rate leads all qualified MLB hitters, though his 4.1 percent walk rate is on pace for the lowest mark of his career and he has just two homers along with three thefts on the season.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Brett Sullivan: Swats first homer of season
Rotowire
Sullivan went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in an 11-1 victory over Boston on Saturday.
Sullivan got in on another big day for San Diego's offense by smashing a two-run homer to right field in the fifth inning. The 28-year-old was recalled from Triple-A on June 22 to fill in for Luis Campusano, who is on the injured list with a thumb injury. However, Kyle Higashioka has been swinging a hot bat, so Sullivan has made only two starts since the call-up.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Jackson Merrill: Continues power surge
Rotowire
Merrill went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a double in an 11-1 rout of the Red Sox on Saturday.
Merrill increased San Diego's lead to 4-0 with a fourth-inning solo blast and capped the scoring in the contest with an RBI double in the eighth. The rookie has homered in back-to-back contests and in half of his past 10 games. Extended further, Merrill's power surge has included nine long balls over his past 16 contests, and he's slashing .333/.365/.817 with 18 RBI and 12 runs during that stretch.
Machado went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Saturday's 11-1 rout of the Red Sox.
The veteran third baseman launched a two-run homer in the third inning and a three-run blast in the fifth, both off Tanner Houck. Machado has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games, batting .415 (17-for-41) with four of his 10 homers on the season over that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Michael King: Stifles BoSox on Saturday
Rotowire
King (6-5) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over six innings in a 11-1 rout of the Red Sox. He struck out six.
The right-hander blanked Boston for five innings before serving up a solo shot to Jarren Duran, but San Diego had already compiled a 10-0 lead by that point. King produced his first quality start since June 2, and his seventh of the season, on 89 pitches (63 strikes). He'll take a 3.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 115:39 K:BB through 99.2 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Diamondbacks.
Darvish (elbow) has resumed playing light catch, per MLB.com.
Darvish was expected to come off the injured list and make a start for the Padres on Tuesday, but a bout of right elbow inflammation put a halt to that plan. The right-hander underwent imaging that came back clean, and the fact that he's now doing light throwing suggests that the issue isn't serious. However, Darvish is expected to undergo additional imaging before he's cleared to throw in a game.
... See More... See Less
Padres' David Peralta: Sitting again Saturday
Rotowire
Peralta isn't in the Padres' lineup for Saturday's game against the Red Sox.
Saturday marks the fifth consecutive absence for Peralta, and the second time he's sat against a right-handed starter (Tanner Houck) in that span. Bryce Johnson will start in right field for the fifth game in a row while batting ninth. He appears to have overtaken Peralta for a spot in the Padres' everyday lineup against right-handed pitching.
Higashioka isn't in the Padres' lineup for Saturday's game against Boston.
The Padres will give Higashioka a day off Saturday after he belted a two-run homer during Friday's win. In his place, Brett Sullivan will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Stephen Kolek: Nabs victory in relief
Rotowire
Kolek (2-0) earned the win over Boston on Friday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over two scoreless innings.
Kolek was sharp in the relief outing, throwing 16 of 22 pitches for strikes and recording a first-pitch strike to six of the eight batters he faced. The right-hander has been used almost exclusively in lower-leverage situations this season, picking up just two holds across 33 appearances. Kolek has recorded more than three outs in 12 of those outings and has registered a 4.74 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB over 38 innings on the campaign.
Merrill went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 9-2 win over the Red Sox.
The rookie capped San Diego's improbable nine-run fifth inning by sending a Greg Weissert fastball over the fence in straightaway center field. Merrill's power has emerged as the weather has heated up -- while his 11 homers through 82 games is already good for a 21-year-old in his first MLB campaign, eight of those long balls have come in his last 15 contests, a stretch in which he's batting .309 (17-for-55) with 11 runs and 16 RBI.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Kyle Higashioka: Adds to huge June
Rotowire
Higashioka went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's 9-2 win over the Red Sox.
All nine of the Padres' runs came in an incredible fifth inning that saw them bat around before recording an out, and Higashioka got the offensive eruption started by crushing a Nick Pivetta sweeper over the Green Monster. The veteran backstop is having the best month of his career in June, batting .292 (14-for-48) over 16 games with an eye-popping eight homers and 19 RBI -- his career high in homers for a season is only 10. Luis Campusano (thumb) is expected back off the IL in early July, but he will have a hard time wresting significant playing time back from Higashioka given the latter's current form.
X-rays on Vasquez's right forearm came back negative after he was removed from Friday's game versus Boston, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
A 98-mph line drive off the bat of Ceddanne Rafaela struck Vasquez's arm in the fifth inning, forcing him to leave the game after four-plus innings of one-run ball. The 25-year-old said after the game that he's dealing with a bit of swelling, but he seemed optimistic about his chances to make his next start.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Randy Vasquez: Struck by comebacker, exits early
Rotowire
Vasquez was removed from his start Friday against the Red Sox after getting hit in the right forearm by a comebacker, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Vasquez took a 98 mph line drive off his forearm during the fifth inning of Friday's contest, and he was taken out of the game after conferring with a trainer. He'll be sent for imaging, and the Padres should have an update on the severity of his injury in the near future. The 25-year-old righty had allowed one earned run on five hits and a walk while striking out one batter over four innings before being taken out of the game.
... See More... See Less
Padres' Tom Cosgrove: Hitting IL with elbow inflammation
Rotowire
Cosgrove was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday due to left elbow inflammation, retroactive to Thursday.
The Padres recalled Cosgrove from Triple-A on June 21, and he appeared in three games with San Diego. His most recent outing came Wednesday, when he yielded four runs and retired only one batter before being pulled. Austin Davis will take Cosgrove's place on the active roster.
... See More... See Less
Padres' David Peralta: Sitting versus righty
Rotowire
Peralta is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.
It's the fourth straight game on the bench for Peralta, though Friday's contest is the first of those to come against a right-handed starter (Nick Pivetta). Donovan Solano has been operating as San Diego's primary designated hitter, and it appears Peralta has been relegated to a bench role while stuck in a 3-for-23 (.130) slump. Bryce Johnson will make his fourth straight start in right field Friday.
