The San Diego Padres rallied for three consecutive victories over the San Francisco Giants this past weekend.
In a rare occurrence on Sunday, the Padres’ starting lineup did not feature superstar outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis Jr. has appeared in 110 of the Padres’ 112 games this season, but ahead of Monday night’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Craig Stammen made a notable lineup change.
Padres Announce Tatis Jr. Change
The three-time All-Star is back in the Padres’ lineup Monday night and will return to the leadoff role while starting in right field.
For the second consecutive game, veteran infielder Manny Machado will remain in the designated hitter spot, while Sung-Mun Song will start at third base and bat ninth.
Padres 8/3
F. Tatis Jr. RF
J. Cronenworth 2B
M. Machado DH
T. France 1B
J. Merrill CF
L. Rengifo LF
L. Campusano C
X. Bogaerts SS
S. Song 3BM. King SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 3, 2026
Tatis Jr.’s 2026 Season
Tatis Jr. is currently slashing .283/.399/.753 across 431 at-bats and has recorded 56 runs, 122 hits, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases.
Over his last five games, Tatis Jr. has recorded at least one hit in four of them, including a five-hit performance on July 28 against the Colorado Rockies.
Padres Right Now
San Diego enters Monday with a 58-54 record and sits just one game out of a Wild Card spot in the National League, which helped push the team into buyer mode at the trade deadline.
Rather than selling prominent pieces like closer Mason Miller, the Padres addressed their biggest need: starting pitching.
They acquired veteran Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and then, right before the 6 p.m. ET deadline passed, landed Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers.
San Diego Padres Announce Fernando Tatis Jr. Change Before Diamondbacks Series