San Diego has dropped 5 straight, and the low point came Wednesday at Wrigley when the Cubs hung a franchise-worst 23-3 beatdown on them. Now they roll into Dodger Stadium to face Shohei Ohtani, who got his turn pushed back specifically to line up for this series. Michael King draws the assignment for the Padres, and after a rough last outing against this same Dodgers lineup, he needs a bounce-back in the worst way.
The Dodgers didn't need to squint to find their groove — they've won 4 of their last 5, including a 12-7 shootout win over these same Padres on Thursday night. San Diego is banged up on the mound behind King, with Darvish, Musgrove, Giolito, Waldron and Pivetta all shelved, and now catcher Freddy Fermin is out of Friday's lineup with a head issue. The Dodgers have their own maintenance project in Will Smith, who's out behind the plate into the break, but their lineup depth has papered over injuries all year.
None of that stopped the market from treating this like the mismatch the standings suggest. San Diego still has enough thump to hang 7 runs on a bad night, they just haven't been able to stop anyone doing the same to them.
The version of Ohtani on the mound Friday isn't quite the runaway Cy Young frontrunner from earlier this season. He's still 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA, but he's been managing knee inflammation and has allowed 10 runs across his last 3 starts — a stretch that's part of why the Dodgers gave him extra rest before this one. Still, on a per-start basis he's been death to National League lineups all year, and a Padres offense that just got no-hit into submission by the Cubs bullpen isn't the group to snap him out of it.
- Day-To-DayFreddy Fermin C — Fermin (head) isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers.
- Day-To-DayRandy Vasquez SP — no
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano C — Campusano (foot) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday and has gone 2-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and a 2:2 BB:K through two games.
- 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada RP — Estrada (knee) has been throwing at the Padres' spring-training complex in Arizona, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito SP — Giolito (elbow) resumed light throwing in late June, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILJason Adam RP — The Padres placed Adam on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Tuesday, with a right shoulder strain.
- 15-Day-ILDavid Morgan RP — The Padres recalled Morgan from Triple-A El Paso on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron SP — Waldron (forearm) struck out four and allowed two earned runs on two hits and four walks across 2.2 innings Thursday in a rehab start with Triple-A El Paso.
- 10-Day-ILWill Smith C — Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Smith (neck) is expected to remain out until after the All-Star break, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times 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-ILTyler Glasnow SP — Glasnow (back) has been cleared to begin a throwing program, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
- 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.
- 60-Day-ILEvan Phillips RP — Phillips (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, yielding one hit and one walk over two-thirds of a scoreless frame.
King, for his part, has to erase the memory of his last look at this lineup — 4.1 innings, 4 earned runs, a loss. San Diego's rotation crater means whatever he gives them, the bullpen behind him is running thin too, with Jason Adam freshly on the shelf and setup options dwindling. The Dodgers, if they get anything from their own group of walking wounded in the pen, should be able to pile on if the Padres bats go cold again.