Padres pregame: Fernando Tatis Jr. back atop order to start Dodgers series

The search for a leadoff hitter has brought the Padres all the way back to Fernando Tatis Jr. The slumping superstar is batting leadoff for a second straight game as the Padres start a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Monday's first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. at Petco Park on Padres.TV.

Padres hitters have amassed a .541 OPS, 30th in the majors and well below the league's numbers for leadoff hitters (.701).

The season began with Tatis in the leadoff spot. Padres rookie manager Craig Stammen then began to cycle through options to allow Tatis opportunities to drive in runs.

None of the options have worked out.

• OF Ramón Laureano (.686 OPS, 106 PA)
• OF Jackson Merrill (.440 OPS, 48 PA)
• 2B Jake Cronenworth (.333 OPS, 22 PA)
• SS Xander Bogaerts (.000 OPS, 3 PA)

Tatis has a .377 OPS from the leadoff spot. What's more, Tatis he yet to hit a home run through 193 plate appearances, is hitting .232/.307/.274 on the season and is hitting .196/.274/.250 through the first 15 games of May.

Tatis returned to the leadoff spot on Sunday for the first time since April 4.

Tatis (.581 OPS) will man second base a third straight game as the Padres maximize the power potential in the lineup. Miguel Andujar (.793 OPS) is in the two-hole for the second day in a row, this time as the DH; Gavin Sheets (.896 OPS) will play first base and bat third for a second straight game; and Nick Castellanos (.601 OPS) will play right field and bat seventh.

Merrill (.603 OPS) will bat sixth in a second straight game, while Rodolfo Duran (.416 OPS) will get the start behind the plate.

Before the game, Sheets was named the National League Player of the Week after pairing four homers with an MLB-best 2.177 OPS over the previous week.

Here is how the Dodgers, who lead the NL by a half-game, will line up for Game 1:

Monday's pitching matchup

Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-3, 3.60 ERA)

The 27-year-old has a 5.18 ERA over his last four starts, although he's struck out 27 over 24⅓ innings. Yamamoto has a 6.38 ERA in four regular-season starts against the Padres and a 5.63 ERA in two playoff starts, but he did get the win in Game 5 of the 2024 NLDS (5 IP, 0 ER).

Here is how Yamamoto has fared against current Padres in the regular season:

Padres RHP Michael King (3-2, 2.63 ERA)

He's allowed two runs or less in seven of his nine starts, although the Padres have only won four of his starts. King has a 2.82 ERA in 22 ⅓ innings in his career against the Dodgers, but he hasn't faced them since 2024 (2-0, 3.10 ERA). He also allowed five runs in five innings in a win in the 2024 NLDS against the Dodgers.

Here is how King has fared against current Dodgers in the regular season:

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 3:22 PM.