Both starters figure to be working with thin margins in this one. The Rangers' rotation has been picking up the tab for a lineup that's averaged barely 2 runs across its last 4 losses, and the Padres are coming off back-to-back shutout-adjacent games in St. Louis where they scored a combined 2 runs. Whoever takes the ball at 3:05 PM CT inherits a lot of stress.
The story heading into the weekend is the Rangers' Corey Seager problem. Texas put their franchise shortstop on the 7-day concussion IL on June 15 after a home-plate collision with Royals catcher Carter Jensen, and the timing could not be worse for a team that just got blown out 12-2 by Minnesota on Tuesday and dropped 4 of its last 5. Stack Seager's absence on top of Evan Carter (oblique), Michael Helman (hand), and Danny Jansen, and the lineup card looks like a Triple-A audition.
- 7-day ilFreddy Fermin C — The Padres placed Fermin (concussion) on the 7-day injured list Sunday.
- 7-Day ILJake Cronenworth 2B — Cronenworth (concussion) has been participating in light baseball activities and is "ramping up," per MLB.com.
- 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.
- 10-Day-ILMiguel Andujar DH — Andujar (hamstring) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
- bereavementMason Miller RP — Miller secured the save Sunday against the Orioles, throwing 1.1 clean innings. He struck out three.
- 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-ILGerman Marquez SP — Marquez (forearm) tossed four scoreless innings for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, allowing one hit and issuing one walk while striking out two batters.
- 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.
- Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott SS — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 7-Day ILCorey Seager SS — The Rangers placed Seager on the 7-day concussion injured list Monday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILMichael Helman CF — The Rangers placed Helman (hand) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.
- 10-Day-ILEvan Carter CF — The Rangers placed Carter (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Saturday.
- 10-Day-ILDanny Jansen C — Jansen is not in the Rangers' starting lineup against the Guardians on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILJalen Beeks RP — Beeks (2-1) earned the win in relief Saturday against the Cubs after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out one with no hits or walks allowed.
- 15-Day-ILChris Martin RP — The Rangers placed Martin on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement.
- 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery SP — Montgomery (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
San Diego isn't healthy either — they're just less actively on fire. Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin are both out with concussions, Luis Campusano (toe) and Miguel Andujar (hamstring) haven't been available, and the rotation is still missing Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, and German Marquez. That's not a depth issue, that's a roster crisis. The Padres have stayed above .500 anyway at 37-35, which is the part that should worry Texas.
Recent form tells you who's been holding it together. The Padres took 2 of 3 in Baltimore last week behind a 9-3 thumping and a tidy 5-2 win, then ran into a buzzsaw against the Cardinals — getting one-hit by Dustin May on Monday and losing 3-2 on Tuesday. Tight losses to a good team is a much different vibe than the Rangers' 10-run and 10-run blowouts to the Red Sox and Twins. Texas is 35-38 and starting to look like the calendar is catching them.
Saturday's series opener-plus-one feels like a get-right spot for whichever side throws strikes. The Rangers desperately need a home win in front of fans who watched them get embarrassed Tuesday night. The Padres, knowing how shallow this Texas lineup is right now without Seager, should be the team pressing the gas. If San Diego's bullpen — Mason Miller back from bereavement and reportedly available — gets the ball with a lead in the 7th, this is a game they're built to close.