San Diego has its own crowded injury report, with Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Lucas Giolito all working back from arm issues, though Musgrove has reported feeling good through rehab starts at Triple-A El Paso. The Padres also got a scare Wednesday when Xander Bogaerts left a game against the Mets grabbing his hamstring, though manager Craig Stammen said afterward it looked more like heat cramping than a serious strain.
Minnesota has trended the right way lately, closing out a set against Atlanta on a high note after dropping the first two games of a series to Philadelphia. San Diego's been choppier, splitting its last two series against Cleveland and the Mets without ever putting together consistent stretches of momentum.
Outfielder Austin Martin's hamstring strain adds to Minnesota's growing list of bodies on the shelf, while San Diego is still waiting on reinforcements from its own IL before its rotation looks whole again. Both clubs are essentially playing out August shorthanded, which makes every series like this one a test of who can paper over the gaps better.