Padres pregame: Freddy Fermin searching for answers instead of excuses

Officially, Freddy Fermin has endured one concussion scare. But the ball that rattled off his face mask and forced him from a game in mid-April is hardly the extent of the abuse that he's endured so far this season.

In fact, the uptick in volume could be expected in his first year as a primary catcher, even if the 31-year-old catcher doesn't see himself as atop a so-called depth chart. He also doesn't believe the cumulative effect of the wear and tear has anything to do with not pulling out of a season-long funk.

"I don’t think it affects me," Fermin said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. " … I haven’t had any moments like this, as bad as it has been recently, but at any moment I could come out and have a spark somewhere and it’ll lift me up and get me to a better place. So I don’t see that there’s any correlation. I think it’s just at one moment there’s going to be a spark and that’ll lift me back up offensively."

Fermin is back behind the plate for Tuesday's 6:40 p.m. start (Padres.TV) after giving way to newcomer Rodolfo Durán in three of the last four games.

Two of those starts are simply about Durán taking over the injured Luis Campusano's assignments - Michael King and Walker Buehler - but Durán caught Griffin Canning on Monday, the first sign that the Padres could consider altering the playing time behind the plate. Campusano’s return as one of the Padres’ most productive hitters before sustaining a broken toe figures to force the Padres to reconsider the catching rotation again.

In the meantime, Durán also caught Canning's ramp-up starts at Triple-A El Paso, so that was an opportunity to give Fermin an extra breather.

"He’s been getting hit in the head quite a bit, and a lot of dings on his feet and his legs," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "So a couple days off for him just to recoup and get back at it."

Maybe to reset mentally, too.

Fermin is hitting .146/.250/.191 with 11 walks against 22 strikeouts in 38 games to start his first season as the primary catcher. He's also hitless in his last five games (18 plate appearances) and doesn't have an extra-base hit since May 1.

Fermin's performance at the plate and behind it as Salvador Pérez's back-up in Kansas City led the Padres to give up both Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert at last year's trade deadline to install him as the primary catcher. But Fermin hit .244/.278/.339 for a .617 OPS in 42 games after the move to San Diego and has seen his OPS drop to .441 to start his first full year in San Diego.

Asked if he's placed much pressure on himself to make the most of this opportunity, Fermin said: "I don’t see myself as the first catcher. I feel like I'm a guy that’s sharing the wealth with my teammates as well, but I feel like I don’t see that as any pressure on myself to do that. I’m just going out there and doing everything I can to put myself in the best position to help this team win, whether it is offensively or defensively. I’m trying to go back there and do the best that I can."

Fermin added: "There’s going to be highs and lows at every moment in time. I’m just grateful that they’ve given me an opportunity to go out there and keep playing, but I know those results will come sooner rather than later, and I just have to keep coming to the ballpark and keep working hard every day, and, and enjoy the moments."

Here is how the Phillies (27-27) will line up for Game 2:

Notable

• RHP Germán Márquez (forearm nerve) threw another bullpen on Tuesday. He said he expects to throw a live batting practice on Thursday at low Single-A Lake Elsinore. How he comes out of that could determine if he's ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

Tuesday’s pitching matchup

Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-4, 6.04 ERA)

Opponents are hitting .299/.354/.505 so far against Nola, who has allowed nine homers 50⅔ innings. He has an 8.78 ERA over his last three starts. Nola has a 3.26 ERA in 10 regular season starts against the Padres, but he last faced them in 2024 (1-0, 3.86 ERA over two starts).

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

Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (5-2, 2.96 ERA)

Last week's start against the Dodgers marked just the second time he did not complete at least five innings. Vásquez has been better on the road (1.46 ERA) than he has so far at Petco Park (4.20 ERA). His only start against the Phillies was in 2024 (4 ⅓ IP, 12 H, 2 BBs, 6 ER).

Here is how Vásquez has fared against current Phillies:

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 5:25 PM.