Tatis Back at Second Base
The San Diego Padres will continue their series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night, coming off a 5-0 win in Monday's opener. For the first time in 43 games, Fernando Tatis Jr. is back at second base, as reported by Heavy.
The position change follows the Padres' announcement that utility man Luis Rengifo was placed on the 60-day injured list after suffering a torn ACL during Friday's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Rengifo, who appeared in 38 games for the Padres and batted .291, will miss the rest of the season. Padres beat writer AJ Cassavel noted on X, "Without Rengifo, it stands to reason Fernando Tatis Jr. might get extra time at 2B."
Tatis Jr. will make his 44th appearance of the season at second base. He is batting .281 with 150 hits, 29 doubles, 17 home runs, two triples, 77 runs, 67 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases in 136 games, according to Heavy.
Padres Roster Moves and Lineup
The Padres have expanded their roster from 26 to 28 players, adding top prospect catcher Ethan Salas and right-handed pitcher Jhony Brito as September call-ups. The team posted on X: "We have selected the contract of C Ethan Salas from Triple-A El Paso, recalled RHP Jhony Brito from El Paso, and transferred INF/OF Luis Rengifo to the 60-day IL."
Salas is not in the lineup for Tuesday night's game, as the Reds are starting a left-handed pitcher, according to Sports Illustrated. The Padres' starting lineup includes Fernando Tatis Jr. at second base, Samad Taylor in left field, Manny Machado at third base, Ty France at first base, Jackson Merrill in center field, Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Austin Hays at designated hitter, Freddy Fermin at catcher, and Jase Bowen in right field.
Pitching Matchup
Right-hander Randy Vásquez will take the mound for the Padres, making his 22nd start of the season, as reported by Heavy. He enters Tuesday's game with a 10-6 record and a 4.02 ERA over 123 innings. Vásquez is coming off consecutive strong starts: on Aug. 21 against the Minnesota Twins, he allowed two runs over seven innings, and in his most recent start, he pitched five shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Reds will counter with left-hander Nick Lodolo, who owns a 5.24 ERA across 16 starts (79 innings) this season, according to Sports Illustrated. Lodolo has struggled in his last two starts, allowing 10 runs on 16 hits over 7.1 innings against the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Current Standings and Recent Form
Monday's win ended a three-game losing streak for the Padres, who had lost five of their last six games entering the series with Cincinnati. At 73-65, the Padres have reclaimed the final Wild Card berth in the National League with a 0.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, as reported by Heavy. San Diego has gone 5-5 over their last 10 games.
The Reds, at 65-73, hold the worst record in the National League Central and have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games, according to the same source.
Padres manager Craig Stammen emphasized the importance of moving on from the weekend sweep, telling Sports Illustrated, "Very important to be able to turn the page. We talked about turning the page. It's harder to turn the page if we come out on the wrong end of the scoreboard. So when we get the right end of the scoreboard, everybody's starting to feel better about it again. We can move on from that, and we can dictate what our future holds."
How to Watch and Broadcast Info
First pitch for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 3:40 m. PT / 6:40 m. ET, as reported by Sports Illustrated. The game will be broadcast on TV and the MLB app. Games are also available on cable via Cox (Channel 83), DirecTV (Channel 694-3), AT&T Uverse (Channel 781 or 1781), and Spectrum (Channel 305 or 443). Radio broadcasts will be on 97.3 The Fan (in English) and XEMO 860 (in Spanish).