San Diego Padres (13-6, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres have won eight in a row after a perfect homestand against the Rockies and the Mariners. They are still 1½ games behind the Dodgers, owners of the best record in baseball. The Padres’ 13 wins are the second most in baseball. The Padres took two of three last year against the Angels in San Diego.
Los Angeles Angels (10-10, 3rd in AL West)
The Angels split a four-game series in the Bronx to start the week. They are a half-game behind the Rangers in the division. Los Angeles hasn’t made the postseason since they were swept in three games in the ALDS by the Royals in 2014. That is the lone postseason appearance of Mike Trout’s career.
San Diego: Four Padre have an OPS over .900 during their eight-game winning streak—OF Ramón Laureano (1.195), C Luis Campusano (1.084), INF Ty France (1.080), 1B Gavin Sheets (1.012) and SS Xander Bogaerts (.923)—with Bogaerts, Laureano and Sheets each tallying two homers. Bogaerts leads the team with nine RBIs over the last seven games, with four scoring on a walk-off grand slam. 2B Jake Cronenworth hit .125/.222/.250 on the homestand. RHP Mason Miller (0.00 ERA) and LHP Wandy Peralta (2.16 ERA) lead the team with nine appearances. Miller has a 23-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 9 ⅓ innings.
Los Angeles: OF Mike Trout homered five times in a four-game series in New York, a first for a visiting player against the Yankees. Trout has 13 RBIs over his last seven games (1.434 OPS). 2B Oswald Peraza has three homers over his last six games (1.593 OPS) while 1B Nolan Schanuel has a .410 OPS over the last week. LHP Brent Suter (2.40 ERA) leads Angels relievers with 15 strikeouts in 15 innings. RHP Chase Silseth (2.45 ERA) leads the team with 10 appearances.
Friday
Padres RHP Matt Waldron (2026 debut) | The knuckleballer threw 12 scoreless innings across three rehab starts, striking out 12 against one walk. He has a 4.86 ERA in 192⅔ innings in the majors, but he made just one start last year (4⅔ IP, 4 ER). Waldron faced the Angels in 2024, striking out four over 6⅓ innings of one-run ball in a no-decision.
Angels RHP Jose Soriano (4-0, 0.33 ERA) | The 27-year-old is enjoying a breakout in his fourth year in the majors, as he has struck out 31 against nine walks in 27 innings and leads the majors with an 0.667 WHIP, 3.0 hits per nine innings and a 1299 ERA+. He’s gone at least six innings in all four starts. Soriano has a 1.29 ERA in 14 career innings against the Padres. He allowed two unearned runs in seven innings in a no-decision last year.
Saturday
Padres RHP Germán Márquez (2-1, 5.54 ERA) | He’s won back-to-back starts, although he was far more deserving in Pittsburgh (5 IP, 0 ER) than he was last time out at home (5 IP, 4 ER). Márquez has struck out 10 and walked four through 13 innings. Lefties have a 1.227 OPS this year against Márquez, vs. .721 for righties. Márquez has a 3.54 ERA in three career starts against the Angels, including a quality start last year (7 IP, 2 ER) in a no-decision.
Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 7.50 ERA) | The 34-year-old veteran has 19 strikeouts against 10 walks and hasn’t completed six innings in any of his four starts. He allowed two home runs in his last start (3⅓ IP, 4 ER). Kikuchi has a 4.95 ERA in four career starts against the Padres. He allowed four runs — two earned — in six innings in a no-decision last year.
Sunday
Padres RHP Michael King (2-1, 2.78 ERA) | He’s turned in back-to-back quality starts, but is walking a career-high four batters per nine innngs so far, while his strikeout rate (7.9 per nine innings) is currently a career low. King is also allowing just 6.4 hits per nine innings, his best rate since 2002 (6.2). King has a 4.15 ERA in 13 career innings against the Angels. He allowed three runs — two earned — in 5⅔ innings in a no-decision last year.
Angels LHP Reid Detmers (1-1, 3.57 ERA) | The former first-rounder had a 6.70 ERA in 2024 before spending all of last year in the bullpen (3.96 ERA). Two of his four starts this year have been quality as Detmers has struck out 26 against six walks over 22 ⅔ innings. His only history with the Padres is throwing a scoreless inning as a reliever last year (1 H, BB, 2 Ks).
San Diego: C Freddy Fermin is day-to-day but has passed concussion tests following taking a ball off his mask on Wednesday. RHP Nick Pivetta may miss “weeks and maybe months” with a flexor strain sustained on Sunday. RHP Jeremiah Estrada is on the 15-day injured list with elbow tendinitis. RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) will make a third rehab start this weekend for Triple-A El Paso. LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) is also rehabbing with El Paso. RHP Joe Musgrove (Tommy John surgery) is playing catch but has not returned to throwing off a mound following spring setback.
Los Angeles: RHPs Kirby Yates (knee), Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder), Caden Dana (mono) , Alek Manoah (finger) and Ryan Johnson (viral infection) should all return before the end of the month, while RHP Ben Joyce (shoulder) should return from last year’s surgery in the early part of the season. RHP Robert Stephenson (elbow) has already had season-ending surgery. 3B Anthony Rendon (hip) is expected to retire with the rest of his contract deferred over several years.
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