Padres pregame: Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field as Sung-Mun Song gets rare start

Fernando Tatis Jr. is again a right fielder.

A day after hitting his first homer of the season, Tatis is in right field for Sunday’s series finale in Washington.

First pitch is at 10:35 a.m. on Padres.TV.

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 31, 2026

Tatis hasn’t played right field since May 15 as he’d started 13 straight games at second base. That coincides with a 13-game on-base streak in which he’s hitting .380/.456/.460, although with just two extra-base hits, including Saturday’s home run.

Tatis in right field means is Sung-Mun Song at second base for the first time since May 15 and in the field for the first time since spelling Xander Bogaerts at shortstop on May 23.

The 29-year-old Korean import is 4-for-21 (.190/.320/.238), with just two hits since collecting two hits in his first start on May 5.

Song (.558 OPS) will bat eighth, ahead of catcher Freddy Fermin (.407 OPS).

Gavin Sheets (.827 OPS) will serve as the DH and bat second in a third straight game. He’ll be followed by third baseman Manny Machado (.632 OPS), Bogaerts (.685 OPS) and center fielder Jackson Merrill (.601 OPS).

Ty France (.856 OPS) is at first base and batting sixth, followed by Nick Castellanos (.856 OPS), who is in left field in place of Ramón Laureano.

It is Castellanos’ first start of the weekend.

Here is how the Nationals will line up for the rubber match:

5/31 ⚾ Nationals Lineup is Out

📊 Live Line: Nationals +102 • O/U 9.0

Full matchup stats, BvP, & umpire ratings:https://t.co/H7oQQetvn5 #Nationals #NationalsLineup #MLB pic.twitter.com/KZfIgG4F1U

— MLB Daily Lineups (@DailyMLBLineups) May 31, 2026

Sunday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Griffin Canning (0-3, 7.54 ERA)

He struck out five and walked three in his last start in pitching into the seventh in his first quality start of the season (6⅔ IP, 3 ER). Canning has walked three batters in three of his first five starts. He has a 4.03 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals, including two last year (10 ⅓ IP, 4 ER) while in the Mets rotation.

Here is how Canning has fared against current Nationals:

Nationals RHP Zack Littell (4-4, 5.23 ERA)

He’s pitched behind an opener in four of his 11 appearances this year and has a 3.20 ERA as a reliever, compared to a 6.42 mark in starts. Opponents have an .844 OPS so far against Littell, who has allowed 15 homers already after giving up 36 last year. Littell had a 3.27 ERA in two starts (11 IP) last year against the Padres, first as a Ray and then as a Red.

Here is how Littell has fared against current Padres:

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