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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on June 23, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres have won two straight games against the San Francisco Giants after dropping the series opener on Thursday.
Now, they will look to secure the series win on Sunday with Kyle Hart on the mound against Giants pitcher Landon Roupp.
However, ahead of the matchup, Padres manager Craig Stammen made a controversial lineup decision involving star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Padres Announce Tatis Jr. Change
After the lineup card was released, Padres fans noticed that Tatis Jr. would not start on Sunday despite his success against Roupp in 10 career at-bats.
Against Roupp, Tatis Jr. is slashing .600/.636/.700 with a 1.336 OPS. However, after playing in all three games of the series, he will likely remain available off the bench.
Gavin Sheets will start in right field, while the rest of the outfield will feature Jackson Merrill in center field and Luis Rengifo in left field.
Padres 8/2
L. Rengifo LF
J. Cronenworth 2B
M. Machado DH
T. France 1B
J. Merrill CF
L. Campusano C
G. Sheets RF
X. Bogaerts SS
S. Song 3B
K. Hart SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 2, 2026
Usually, when Tatis Jr. gets a day off defensively, he moves into the designated hitter role. However, Manny Machado will serve as the DH on Sunday, while Sung-mun Song will get the start at third base.
Tatis Jr.’s 2026 Season
After a slow start at the plate early in the season, Tatis Jr. has settled in.
He has appeared in 110 games this season, making a missed game a rare occurrence. Tatis Jr. is batting .283 with eight home runs, 49 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases while slugging .399 with a .753 OPS.
Padres Right Now
San Diego is currently 57-54, which keeps them firmly in the National League Wild Card race.
While they sit 12.0 games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres are only 1.0 game out of a postseason spot.
With the trade deadline set for Monday at 6 p.m. ET, many believe San Diego could take a balanced approach as both buyers and sellers. However, given their position in the standings, they are more likely to operate as buyers.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan