Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-5, 2.65 ERA) gets the ball at 5:40 PM PT, and the timing could not be better for Los Angeles. He has been borderline untouchable in June — a 2.01 ERA across his 3 starts this month, including a stretch where he retired 45 consecutive batters and came within outs of baseball history. On the road specifically, he is 4-2 with a 2.18 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .185 against him away from Dodger Stadium. Randy Vásquez (6-5, 4.17 ERA) gets the start for San Diego, and that is a significant mismatch in favor of the visitors.
Vásquez showed real promise early in 2026 — he was sitting at a 2.94 ERA through the end of May — but the regression has arrived and it has not been subtle. At Petco Park this season, he is 3-3 with a 4.99 ERA, and opposing hitters are batting .294 against him at home. His last outing against Texas was a wreck: 6 earned runs in just 3.1 innings on 8 hits, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout on 72 pitches. Both his expected ERA and expected opponent batting average land in the bottom 3 percentile league-wide, meaning the underlying numbers are even uglier than the surface stats. A Dodgers lineup that just got shut down by an ex-teammate will be looking to make him pay early.
Los Angeles (52-30) holds an 8-game lead in the NL West, so there is no existential pressure here — but getting punched in the mouth 7-1 by Walker Buehler, a guy who won a World Series with you, has a way of creating its own motivation. The Dodgers are also managing a real injury crisis: Will Smith (neck) is on the IL and did not travel with the club on this road trip. Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) is still working through a Triple-A rehab assignment after three games. Add in Glasnow, Snell, Stone, Miller, and Graterol all sidelined and you have a roster that is leaning heavily on Yamamoto to carry the load. The Padres (43-37) come in having swept the Braves and then knocked off the Dodgers with Buehler, riding genuine confidence heading into the All-Star stretch run.
- Day-To-DayChris Campos SP
- 10-Day-ILTeoscar Hernandez LF — Hernandez (hamstring) has played three rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and has gone 3-for-11 with three home runs and six RBI.
- 10-Day-ILWill Smith C — Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Smith (neck) won't travel with the Dodgers for their upcoming road trip, which begins Monday and runs through July 1, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez 1B — Hernandez (oblique) has started some baseball activities but remains in the early stages of his rehab, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILBlake Treinen RP — Treinen does not have any structural damage in his injured right elbow, per MLB.com.
- 60-Day-ILBlake Snell SP — Snell (elbow) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Friday, and manager Dave Roberts said it went well, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
- 60-Day-ILLandon Knack SP — Knack (chest) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, yielding two runs on five hits and one walk over 1.1 innings.
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Diaz RP — Diaz (elbow) is throwing in the bullpen Friday at Dodger Stadium, reports Jack Harris of the California Post.
- 7-Day ILJake Cronenworth 2B — Cronenworth (concussion), who was expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A El Paso, did not get cleared in time to play, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano C — Campusano (toe) continues to rehab in Arizona but hasn't yet been scheduled for a minor-league rehab assignment, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito SP — Giolito was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, with right elbow inflammation.
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez SP — Marquez (forearm) struck out three and allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks across five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A El Paso.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron SP — Waldron (forearm) made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings.
- 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada RP — Estrada (2-2) picked up the loss after giving up the eventual game-winning run in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.
- 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta SP — Pivetta (forearm) progressed to throwing from 90 feet with some intensity June 10, per MLB.com.
- 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove SP — Musgrove (elbow) started playing catch in late May, per MLB.com.
The game turns on how quickly the Dodgers can get to Vásquez and whether they can put the game away before San Diego's bullpen enters to stabilize it. Yamamoto does not need a lot of support to win — he just needs 3 or 4 runs and room to work. That is a perfectly reasonable ask against a starter with a 4.99 home ERA, no strikeout stuff, and contact management that has completely deserted him. Petco Park was supposed to be a problem for the Dodgers this weekend. After Friday, it still might be. But Yamamoto changes the calculus completely.