The Padres have a lot going on ahead of Tuesday’s 6:45 p.m. in San Francisco.

They placed Jake Cronenworth (concussion symptoms) on the injured list, recalled infielder Sung-Mung Song, activated left-hander Yuki Matsui and optioned left-hander Kyle Hart to Triple-A El Paso.

Oh and Fernando Tatis Jr. has been dropped to fifth in the order for the first time since his rookie year in 2019 as Padres manager Craig Stammen made significant changes to a lineup that ranks 27th in batting average (.230) and on-base percentage (.303) and 24th in slugging (.377).

Tuesday night lineup. pic.twitter.com/e9BzjG7C5i

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 5, 2026

It is unclear when Cronenworth sustained the concussion. He was hit by a pitch in the chin on April 18 in Anaheim but stayed in the game. He did sit the following day and is hitting .129/.270/.161 in 12 games since then — numbers not all that far off a frustrating start to the season for Cronenworth (.144/.272/.196).

Song made his MLB debut as a pinch-runner as the 27th man in the Mexico City Series. He was hitting .293/.364/.354 with one homer and 15 RBIs in 25 games at Triple-A El Paso.

He’ll man second base in his first start on Tuesday and bat ninth, Cronenworth’s spot.

Jackson Merrill will lead off in place of Ramón Laureano, who is out of the lineup in favor of Nick Castellanos, who’ll get the start in left field and bat seventh.

Manny Machado will bat second, Miguel Andjuar will bat third and Gavin Sheets wills serve as the cleanup hitter ahead of Tatis, who is looking for his first home run and starting in the fifth spot in the order for the first time since making one start there as a rookie in 2019.

Tatis hadn’t hit lower than fourth in a starting lineup since.

He is hitting .252/.324/.301 with just five extra-base hits all season (four doubles and a triple) and is hitting .225/.273/.275 over his last 10 games. The Padres are 3-7 over those 10 games.

As for Matsui, a groin strain cost Matsui a chance to pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic and forced him to open the season on the injured list. He spent his entire 30-day rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso, where he struck out 14 against three walks while posting a 4.97 ERA over 12⅔ innings.

Opposing hitters in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League had a .327 batting average off Matsui, who will be making his 2026 debut.

Matsui has a 3.86 ERA in two seasons in the majors with the Padres, as he’s struck out 130 batters against 60 walks over 126 innings. He’s held righties to a .657 OPS in two years in the States and lefties to a .767 OPS.

Matsui recorded 236 saves in 10 years in Japan, but he has predominantly worked in low-leverage situations with the Padres. To date, Matsui has 342 plate appearances in low-leverage situations (.680 OPS), 92 plate appearances in medium-leverage (.789 OPS) and 95 plate appearances in high-leverage spots (.691 OPS).

Hart has a 5.40 ERA over 16⅔ innings, although he’s been far better against lefties (.493 OPS) than righties (.702 OPS), as well as Pitches 1-25 (.486 OPS) vs. 26-50 (1.044 OPS).

Here is how the Giants (14-21) will line up for Game 2:

Today’s #SFGiants lineup pic.twitter.com/PFRuV3CtzI

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) May 5, 2026

 

Tuesday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Walker Buehler (1-2, 5.40 ERA)

He has a 5.84 ERA in three starts since throwing six shutout innings on April 10. Buehler opened the season against the Giants, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in four innings. Buehler has not allowed a home run since that first start against the Giants.

Here is how Buehler has fared against current Giants:

Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-3, 4.30 ERA)

The 29-year-old veteran has turned in three straight quality starts (3.15 ERA), but the Giants are 2-5 so far with Webb on the mound. He beat the Padres with six innings of three-run ball in San Diego in late March and has a 3.23 ERA in 106 career innings against San Diego.

Here is how Webb has fared against current Padres: