Jeffrey Springs is the headline and the worry at the same time. He opened the year with a 1.46 ERA through 4 starts and looked like the A's best free-agent investment in years. Then the wheels came off — an 8.36 ERA across his last 3 outings, capped by a hip-soreness exit against the Royals that Mark Kotsay called precautionary. His season line is still a tidy 3.93, but the trend line is doing him no favors.
Walker Buehler is the other side of that coin. The Padres are still waiting for the version of him they thought they were getting, and a 5.01 ERA tells you most of what you need to know. He's mixed in a couple of clean stretches — 11 straight Cardinals retired in one start — but the back end of the San Diego rotation is shaky enough that Lucas Giolito's signing is already lurking behind him.
The Padres are short favorites, which feels right given how thin both rotations look right now. San Diego is missing Darvish, Musgrove, Pivetta, and Marquez from its starting depth, and Jackson Merrill has been in and out of the lineup. The A's, for their part, are still without Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy, and Gunnar Hoglund's season is officially done after hip surgery.
- Day-To-DayWei-En Lin (P) — Double-A Midland placed Lin on the 7-day injured list May 13 with a left quad strain.05/18
- 10-Day-ILDenzel Clarke (CF) — The Athletics returned Clarke (foot) from his rehab assignment Thursday after he suffered a left hamstring strain while playing in a rehab game at Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.05/21
- 10-Day-ILJacob Wilson (SS) — Wilson (shoulder) remains in the strengthening and stabilization portion of his rehab, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.05/18
- 10-Day-ILMax Muncy (3B) — Muncy (hand) has begun a swinging progression, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.05/18
- 15-Day-ILBrooks Kriske (RP) — Kriske (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.05/18
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund (SP) — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.05/20
- Day-To-DayJackson Merrill (CF) — Merrill is out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale against Milwaukee.05/21
- Day-To-DayBlake Hunt (C) — Hunt is dealing with an oblique injury and has been shut down from activity, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.05/08
- 7-day ilJake Cronenworth (2B) — The Padres placed Cronenworth on the 7-day concussion injured list Tuesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano (C) — Campusano (toe) has progressed to swinging in the batting cage and catching off a pitching machine, per MLB.com.05/22
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron (SP) — Waldron (forearm) could take on a bullpen role when he returns from the injured list, per MLB.com.05/22
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez (SP) — Marquez (forearm) has progressed to throwing off a mound, per MLB.com.05/22
- 15-Day-ILNick Pivetta (SP) — Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Wednesday that Pivetta was diagnosed with a right flexor strain, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.05/08
- OutYu Darvish (SP) — Darvish (elbow) revealed Tuesday in a social media post that he has resumed playing catch.05/12
- 60-Day-ILJhony Brito (RP) — Brito (forearm) had his minor-league rehab statement moved from the Arizona Complex League to Double-A San Antonio on Sunday, per MLB.com.05/18
- 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — The Padres transferred Musgrove (elbow) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
An 8 total fits the matchup if you trust Buehler to navigate a punchless A's lineup and you don't trust Springs' hip to make it through 5. Flip either of those assumptions and the over gets a lot more interesting. First pitch is 8:40 PM ET at Petco.