The postseason begins on Tuesday, and the San Diego Padres are a participant for the third consecutive season.
The club will host the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card round. The Padres enter the matchup having lost the season series, 5-1, but they’ve gotten hot at the right time to secure home-field advantage. With the Wild Card seeding decided on Saturday night, both teams have little time to prepare for one another. But make no mistake, both the Friars and Cubs will be ready to compete
on Tuesday night.
San Diego’s roster is pretty much set, but a few spots remain open. Players returning from the injured list just before the postseason will force difficult roster decisions.
Let’s predict the Padres Wild Card roster:
Hitters (14): Ty France, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Dustin Harris, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Campusano, Austin Hays, Gavin Sheets, Samad Taylor, Sung-Mun Song, Freddy Fermin and Jase Bowen.
Before this weekend, Gavin Sheets had been out of the lineup since Aug. 29 due to a left foot sprain and plantar fasciitis tear, and Padres manager Craig Stammen believes he can be a left-handed hitting option in the postseason.
But the question is his availability because if Sheets can play, he gives the team a legitimate home run hitter off the bench. The decision-makers will have to be convinced that his timing at the plate makes him a valuable run-producing option.
Despite the foot injuries, Sheets is hitting .212 with 17 HR and 48 RBI in 125 games. The downside is that he did not face live pitching during a minor league rehab stint.
With Sheets on the roster, Miguel Andujar is not. He is still rehabbing a fractured right wrist that occurred on July 20th. Stammen has been noncommittal about who will be the right-handed designated hitter. Austin Hays might be the better choice because he plays both corner outfield positions.
However, the skipper could choose Andujar over Sung-Mun Song if he wants another right-handed stick over a proven glove on the bench.
Pitchers (12): Michael King, Robbie Ray, Walker Buehler, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Wandy Peralta, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller
Michael King, Robbie Ray, and Walker Buehler are expected to start the Wild Card series, though the exact rotation order is still undecided.
Do not be surprised to see Nick Pivetta working out of the bullpen. His endurance to start is not playoff-caliber yet. But adding Pivetta to the pen gives the Padres a well-balanced unit.
Casey Mize is out, as he never could get healthy after injuring his ankle in a home start. The right-hander failed to control the strike zone, as the opposition hit him hard in most outings. Time ran out; Mize could not show that he is a viable pitching candidate for the Wild Card round.
Time will tell if he has pitched for the last time in 2026.
