Padres pregame: Jake Cronenworth sits, Angels change pitching plans

The Padres had been planning on facing left-hander Reid Detmers on Sunday. The Angels are instead starting right-hander Walbert Ureña, but that won't throw the Padres off plans to give a day off to the left-handed-hitting Jake Cronenworth, who took a pitch off his face a night earlier and stayed in the game.

Sunday's first is at 1:07 p.m.

Cronenworth was 1-for-1 with two walks a hit-by-pitch on Saturday, lifting his batting line to .152/.273/.212. He's a .235/.320/.352 hitter in his career against lefties, but his numbers this year (.200/.250/.200) are slightly better against southpaws that his total numbers due to a slow start.

Cronenworth's batting average on balls in play (.184) is well below both his career average (.280) and MLB average (.292). Luck playing against him is also illustrated in an expected batting average (.238) and expected slugging percentage (.366) well above his actual numbers.

With Cronenworth sitting, the Padres will start Fernando Tatis Jr. at second base for the third time this season. That will push Bryce Johnson (right field) into the starting line for the fourth time this season.

Johnson's last start was on April 12. He is hitting .154/.214/.231 over 15 plate appearances after hitting .342/.383/.434 over 84 plate appearances last year.

Johnson will hit ninth.

Sunday is Jackson Merrill's 23rd birthday. He'll bat third behind Ramón Laureano and Tatis atop the order. Third baseman Manny Machado will bat fourth, followed by shortstop Xander Bogaerts, first baseman Gavin Sheets, designated hitter Miguel Andujar and catcher Luis Campusano, who will again be paired with right-hander Michael King.

King (2-1, 2.78 ERA) has turned in back-to-back quality starts, but he is walking a career-high four batters per nine innings 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.

Here is how King has fared against current Angels:

As for Ureña, the 22-year-old is making his third big-league appearance. He has allowed six unearned runs over 1 2.3 innings, striking out two, walking three and allowing five hits.

Detmers was a reliever last year but is not expected to throw bulk innings as the Angels appear to be lining up a true bullpen day.

Angels relievers rank 20th in the majors with a 4.74 ERA, 14th in opponent average (.238), 23rd in WHIP (1.51) and 26th in walks per nine innings (5.51).

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 11:35 AM.