San Diego Padres: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Padres Announce Starting Lineup for Series-Opener vs Dodgers With Surprise Designated Hitter

The San Diego Padres are in Los Angeles for a three-game series with the rival Dodgers where they can officially clinch a spot in the 2026 postseason. The Padres (87-69) enter the series as baseball's hottest team, going 13-1 over their last 14 games and 14-2 over their last 16.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Game 157: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers

San Diego Padres (87-69) at Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60), September 22, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST Watch: Padres.TV Location: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.

San Diego Padres News / Gaslamp Ball / September 22

San Diego’s magic number falls to two as Padres turn to rivals in final road trip

The San Diego Padres are here to stay. They only need one more win (and one Arizona Diamondbacks loss) to clinch the postseason on Tuesday night versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ty France News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 22

Ty France Nearly Retired Before Breakout 2026 Season With Padres

The San Diego Padres drafted Ty France in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. Over a decade later, France, who grew up 113 miles away from Petco Park, found himself back in pinstripes having an unimaginable season.

Pete Crow-Armstrong News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Most lefty-homers in a season' quiz

How many of the lefty mashers with the most home runs in a single season for each MLB franchise can you name in five minutes?

The 'MLB 30/30 Club members' quiz

The 'Last 3-HR game by MLB team' quiz

The 'MLB active hit leaders' quiz

MLB News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 22

Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Massive Series vs Dodgers Before Postseason

The San Diego Padres' win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday put their magic number to clinch a wild-card berth at 2. They can double the magic by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road and wheeling the champagne into the visitors' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.

Athletics News / Yardbarker

The most surprising player from every MLB team for the 2026 season

The 2026 season has been headlined by young players emerging, but some wily veterans have also had their day. As we head toward the end of the regular season, these 30 players stand out as the biggest surprises on their teams.

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 22

Padres Notes: Wild-Card Race Update, Jake Cronenworth Wins Award, Unfortunate Joe Musgrove News

The San Diego Padres have just six games remaining in the regular season, and the magic number to officially clinch a spot in the postseason is just 2.

Jake Cronenworth News / Athlon Sports / September 21

Padres React to Jake Cronenworth News Amid Wild-Card Hunt

Jake Cronenworth and the San Diego Padres beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday to extend their winning streak to five games, along with winning 13 of their last 14 games.

MLB News / Yardbarker / September 22

The NL wild-card race is setting up for chaos

When Tuesday begins, expect the wild-card chase in the National League to become a free-for-all.

Blue Jays make flurry of moves ahead of critical series against Orioles

Jackson Chourio makes MLB history in win against the Orioles

Pete Crow-Armstrong makes more Cubs history in win over Reds

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s turnaround has placed Padres in postseason position

Dodgers' rookie Josue De Paula has made an immediate impact

MLB News / Field Level Media / September 21

Sizzling Padres can punch playoff ticket as soon as opener with Dodgers

The hottest team in baseball is racing toward a playoff berth, and the San Diego Padres can complete the chase as early as Tuesday's opener of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Michael King News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 21

Michael King Credits Padres' Ruben Niebla for Incredible Turnaround

San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King couldn't ask for a better pitching coach than Ruben Niebla. King spoke with Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune about Niebla, and credited him for his incredible turnaround this season. “I know I’ve said it a bunch,” King said.

Gavin Sheets News / MLB on ClutchPoints / September 21

Padres Gavin Sheets’ role gets update if he returns from injury before playoffs

The San Diego Padres have been without Gavin Sheets all September, as he’s dealing with a sprain and plantar plate tear in his left foot. However, he’s been making progress and appears to be on pace to return, assuming the club reaches the playoffs.

MLB News / Yardbarker

The most disappointing player from every MLB team for the 2026 season

The 2026 season hasn't gone as planned for many MLB players. These 30 players stand out as the biggest disappointments for their respective teams.

San Diego Padres News / Yardbarker / September 21

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s turnaround has placed Padres in strong postseason position

Tatis has made a noteworthy turnaround in his power production following a surprising home-run drought across the first 55 games of the season due to his closed batting stance.

Jake Cronenworth homers twice as red-hot Padres defeat Marlins

The 'Active 40-HR MLB seasons' quiz

Jake Cronenworth News / Field Level Media / September 20

Jake Cronenworth homers twice as red-hot Padres defeat Marlins

Jake Cronenworth homered twice and knocked in a season-high five runs Sunday while Fernando Tatis Jr. also homered as the San Diego Padres defeated the visiting Miami Marlins 7-3 to polish off a three-game sweep.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Most 300-yard, 3-TD NFL games' quiz

The 'NFL all-time passing leaders' quiz

The 'FBS animal nicknames' quiz

The 'Most lefty-homers in a season' quiz

Dylan Cease News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 20

AL Cy Young Award Hopeful Credits Padres' Ruben Niebla for Key Development

Dylan Cease might not win the American League Cy Young Award after his first season in Toronto. If he does, Cease will have a small reason to shout out San Diego Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla in his acceptance speech.

MLB News / Gaslamp Ball / September 20

Game 156: Miami Marlins at San Diego Padres

Miami Marlins (76-79) at San Diego Padres (86-69), September 20, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST Watch: Padres.TV Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif. Listen: 97.3 The Fan Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

MLB News / San Diego Padres on SI / September 20

Padres Announce Lineup vs Marlins as They Look to Secure Sweep, Inch Closer to Postseason Berth

The San Diego Padres are looking to sweep the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon and continue their incredible stretch of play. The Padres took Friday's series opener, 8-2, behind five strong innings from Nick Pivetta and a six-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth inning.

MLB News / MLB on ClutchPoints / September 20

2026 NL Standings: Padres’ walk-off surges them past slumping Phillies in Wild Card race

The Major League Baseball season is near its end, and that means teams have little time left to qualify for the playoffs. The San Diego Padres have been red-hot as the season comes to a close.

MLB News / Field Level Media / September 20

Padres strive to cement playoff position vs. Marlins

When the San Diego Padres first saw the Miami Marlins in late July, their season was on the brink at 50-53. They were 15 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and looking up at five teams in the NL wild-card race and facing the prospect of being a seller at the trading deadline.

San Diego Padres News / Larry Brown Sports / September 20

Padres rookie made the perfect kind of history after walking off Marlins

San Diego Padres youngster Ethan Salas stole the show on Saturday exactly like Manny Machado did over a decade ago. Salas came up to the plate as a pinch hitter in a tie game against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif.

Ethan Salas News / Field Level Media / September 20

Rookie Ethan Salas lifts Padres past Marlins in 10 innings

Rookie Ethan Salas stroked an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday night and the San Diego Padres edged the visiting Miami Marlins 7-6.

MLB News / MLB Trade Rumors / September 17

2026-27 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: Final Check-In

The 2026 season is near completion. While many teams are laser-focused on their final push to either reach the postseason or secure a critical first-round bye, others are already looking ahead to the offseason and the 2027 campaign (and beyond).

San Diego Padres News / Just Baseball / September 18

The Padres have become a team nobody wants to face

In the first half of the season, the San Diego Padres were the most confusing team in all of baseball. Offensively, the team ranked 30th in average (.226), on-base percentage (.302), and runs scored (379). Individually, the team was beyond disappointing.

Jackson Merrill News / Athlon Sports / September 17