Aweek ago, it seemed like the San Diego Padres didn’t really know where their season was headed.
Now, they enter Friday night riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers, who currently hold the best record in the National League.
San Diego will take on the Guardians in Cleveland for a weekend series, and Padres manager Craig Stammen made some notable lineup changes after the team had Thursday off.
Padres Announce Fernando Tatis Jr. Change
After sitting out Wednesday’s game, the last time the Padres took the field, Fernando Tatis Jr. is back in his normal role for the series opener.
He’ll bat leadoff for San Diego and start in right field.
Here’s the Padres’ full lineup:
Padres 8/14
F. Tatis Jr. RF
J. Cronenworth 2B
M. Machado 3B
T. France 1B
J. Merrill CF
L. Campusano C
G. Sheets DH
X. Bogaerts SS
L. Rengifo LFM. King SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 14, 2026
Tatis Jr.’s 2026 Campaign
Tatis Jr. is in his seventh MLB season with San Diego, and although he didn’t make the All-Star team this year, he has continued to produce at a high level.
He has played in 120 games, collected 131 hits, scored 67 runs, hit 12 home runs, driven in 55 runs and stolen 28 bases across 467 at-bats. He’s also hitting .281 with a .420 slugging percentage and a .773 OPS.
Looking at the Padres
San Diego enters Friday’s series opener with a 65-57 record and currently sits 8.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
However, the Padres have worked their way into a Wild Card spot. If the season ended today, they would travel to Wrigley Field for a best-of-three series against the Chicago Cubs.
The Arizona Diamondbacks sit just 0.5 games behind San Diego, while the Philadelphia Phillies are also right in the mix at 65-58.
San Diego Padres Announce Fernando Tatis Jr. Change Before Guardians Series