Tatis remains sidelined with an illness and it's uncertain when he might be ready to make his Cactus League debut, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
It's not clear what kind of illness Tatis is dealing with, but Padres manager Mike Shildt said of the outfielder on Monday that "he's going to require a little bit more recovery." While not an ideal start to camp, Tatis shouldn't be in any danger of missing Opening Day.
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Padres' Cole Paplham: Diagnosed with facial fractures
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Paplham has been diagnosed with facial fractures after being struck by a line drive in Sunday's Cactus League game versus the Dodgers, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Paplham has been discharged from the hospital but is still going through concussion protocols. It's not clear at this point how long he might be sidelined. Once healthy, Paplham should join the bullpen either at Double-A San Antonio or Triple-A El Paso.
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Padres' Cole Paplham: Suffers head injury Sunday
Rotowire
Paplham took a line drive off the side of the head Sunday versus the Dodgers, forcing him to exit the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Paplham was in the midst of his first appearance of the spring, surrendering two runs on two hits while also hitting a batter before taking a 102.4 mph line drive from Aaron Bracho off the head. The Padres were able to get the final out of the inning on the play. The right-hander was carted off the field, and more information on his status moving forward should be forthcoming.
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Padres' Matt Waldron: Allows one run in spring debut
Rotowire
Waldron surrendered one run on two hits and no walks while striking out two batters over two innings in a Cactus League contest against Oakland on Saturday.
Waldron is one of several pitchers competing for the final spot in San Diego's rotation, and he began his exhibition slate with a decent outing. After allowing a pair of hits and a run through three batters, the knuckleballer settled down to retire the final five batters he faced. Even if Waldron does land San Diego's fifth-starter role, he isn't a particularly intriguing fantasy option given his modest strikeout rate and 4.91 ERA over 146.2 frames last year.
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Padres' Sean Reynolds: Battling foot injury
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Reynolds is in a walking boot Sunday due to a stress reaction in his right foot and is expected to remain in the boot for 10 more days, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander made his big-league debut last summer and had a 0.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB across 11 innings before finishing the year in the minors, but the foot injury could derail his chances of winning a spot on San Diego's Opening Day roster. Even if Reynolds begins the campaign back at Triple-A El Paso, it should only be a matter of time before he's back in the big leagues.
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Padres' Bryan Hoeing: Battling sore shoulder
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Hoeing is working through shoulder soreness and has not yet pitched in camp this spring, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The Padres remain hopeful that Hoeing can start the season on time despite the early setback. Hoeing enjoyed a breakout campaign last year between Miami and San Diego, posting a sparkling 2.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 53.2 regular-season innings, though his expected role as the long man in the bullpen is not the most fantasy friendly.
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Padres' Tim Locastro: Back with San Diego on MiLB deal
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The Padres re-signed Locastro to a minor-league contract Thursday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.
Injuries limited Locastro to just 33 games last season, but he slashed .333/.449/.479 with Triple-A El Paso when on the field. The 32-year-old will provide the Padres with some veteran outfield depth.
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Padres' Luis Arraez: Thumb injury behind him
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Arraez said Wednesday that "I feel like I got a new thumb" following surgery in October to repair a torn ligament, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune reports.
Arraez tore the UCL in his left thumb on a slide on June 25 and played through "a lot" of pain before eventually undergoing offseason surgery. He managed to win his third straight batting title in 2024, although Arraez's .314 average in the regular season was down 21 points and his slugging percentage dropped 53 points from over the previous two years. The 27-year-old could have a mini bounce-back 2025 season, although he is likely to remain largely a one-category specialist.
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Padres' Yuli Gurriel: Signs with San Diego as NRI
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The Padres signed Gurriel to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Gurriel will make $1.25 million if he's in the majors, with an additional $1 million possible in incentives. The 40-year-old got into 18 regular-season games down the stretch with the Royals in 2024, putting up a .635 OPS with zero home runs. If he makes the team, Gurriel could potentially see some action at designated hitter, or at first base if the Padres use Luis Arraez at DH.
Padres' Manny Machado: Had fully healthy offseason
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Machado is 100 percent at the beginning of spring training following his first normal offseason in a couple years, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Machado dealt with lingering tennis elbow during the 2023 campaign as well as that offseason and then last winter was recovering from surgery to repair the elbow. This was the first time he was able to have a normal offseason routine since prior to the 2022 season and that year he slashed .298/.366/.531 while finishing runner-up in the National League MVP voting. Machado was still quite productive each of the last two years, but his numbers could be due for an uptick in 2025.
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Padres' Connor Joe: Likely to be part of LF platoon
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Joe and Jason Heyward are expected to platoon in left field for the Padres this season, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
After All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar signed with Atlanta in late January, the Padres signed Joe and Heyward on the same day in early February. It appears the plan is to have the pair platoon in left field, though Acee suggests that direction could change depending on how the players perform in spring training. If Joe is part of a platoon, he'll serve on the short side, though his splits weren't dramatic last year -- he had a .670 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .715 OPS versus southpaws.
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Padres' Luis Patino: Throwing bullpens in camp
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Patino (elbow) is throwing bullpens during the early portion of spring training, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan reports.
Patino underwent Tommy John surgery last April and signed with San Diego on a minor-league deal Jan. 7. His first taste of big-league action came with the Padres in 2020, and he's since logged major-league action with the Rays and White Sox. Though Patino seems to be progressing in his rehab, he isn't expected to be game-ready until around the middle of the season.
Padres' Luis Arraez: Will play first base this season
Rotowire
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said Thursday that he sees Arraez as the team's first baseman this season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Manager Mike Shildt also added of Arraez and Jake Cronenworth that "they're everyday guys that'll be on the field," implying that Arraez is expected to be the everyday first baseman rather than the designated hitter. Cronenworth, meanwhile, is expected to settle in at second base. The Padres don't currently have a clear favorite for DH duties, but they could use the spot to rotate players or potentially acquire some help from outside the organization.
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Padres' Kyle Hart: Returns stateside in San Diego
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Hart signed Thursday with the Padres on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $5 million club option for 2026, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
After reaching a four-year deal with Nick Pivetta on Wednesday, the Padres have further bolstered their rotation depth with the addition of Hart, a 32-year-old lefty whose lone MLB action came back in 2020, when he tossed 11 innings for the Red Sox. Hart was able to secure an MLB deal on the back of his standout performance this past season in the Korea Baseball Organization with the NC Dinos, as he took home the league's equivalent of the Cy Young Award while turning in a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 182:38 K:BB in 157 innings. The lower caliber of competition in the KBO certainly helped Hart achieve his lofty results, but it's been increasingly common in recent years for American pitchers to find MLB success upon returning stateside following impressive stints in Korea, with Erick Fedde and Merrill Kelly both standing out as notable examples. Hart will likely still have to impress in spring training to secure his spot in the San Diego rotation, with knuckleballer Matt Waldron representing Hart's top challenger for the No. 5 spot.
Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Padres on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Pivetta declined a $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox earlier in the offseason, opting to pursue a multi-year deal with a lower AAV instead. That is exactly what he'll get from the Padres, who gain a much-needed boost to their rotation depth. The 31-year-old righty turned in a 4.14 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 145.2 innings last season alongside a 172:36 K:BB. He's developed a reputation for living in the strike zone and thus racking up high strikeout totals, but he has yet to finish a season with a sub-4.00 ERA over his eight-year career.
