Dodgers Announce Starting Pitchers for Series vs NL West Rival Padres

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins, and now turn their attention to the rival San Diego Padres.

Los Angeles has already played the Padres once this season, taking two of three games from San Diego. Since then, the Dodgers have separated themselves from the pack in the National League West standings, now leading the division by nine games.

The Dodgers enter this series holding a record of 52-29 on the season, while the Padres sit with a record of 42-37. A series with the NL West rivals is never easy, though.

The Padres are coming off a sweep of the Atlanta Braves, finally looking like a team to be feared. It has been a very up-and-down year for San Diego, but this matchup with the Dodgers could be huge for them to get back into the divisional race.

The Dodgers went 9-4 against the Padres in 2025.

Dodgers vs Padres Pitching Probables

Friday, June 26: RHP Roki Sasaki vs RHP Walker Buehler

Roki Sasaki will open the series for the Dodgers, looking to build off his last start. The right-hander has pitched much better over the last month-plus, with his early-season struggles in the rearview mirror for the most part.

Overall, Sasaki has an ERA of 4.76 in 13 starts for the Dodgers this year. But the trust from manager Dave Roberts has increased heavily, with Sasaki going deeper in games.

Former Dodgers star Walker Buehler will get a crack at Los Angeles in the opening game, hoping to keep his strong performance of late going. Buehler has been excellent for the Padres over his last five outings, posting an ERA of 2.05 with 24 strikeouts.

He recently opened up about the difficult end to his tenure with LA.

Saturday, June 27: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs RHP Randy Vásquez

The reigning World Series MVP will take the mound in the second game, looking to continue his strong year.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto saw the Padres in the first matchup, going seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits while striking out eight.

The right-hander has registered an ERA of 2.65 across 91.2 innings this year.

Randy Vásquez will get the nod for the Padres against Yamamoto, and his season has gone downhill after his hot start. Overall, Vásquez has an ERA of 4.17, but at one point this year was the Padres' best pitcher.

Sunday, June 28: RHP Emmet Sheehan vs RHP Michael King

Emmet Sheehan gets the nod for the Dodgers in the finale in what will be a very important start for him. Due to struggles of late, the right-hander could be pitching for his spot in the starting rotation.

Overall, the right-hander has made 14 starts this year, posting an ERA of 5.32.

Going up against him will be the ace of the Padres in Michael King, who went seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers in May. King has faltered a little since that outing, putting up an ERA of 3.33 over 16 starts overall this season.

Key Dodgers Injuries

The Dodgers are still without starters Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) in the starting rotation. They both have a ways to go before getting back.

Veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has been working back from a hamstring injury and is currently on a rehab assignment. Kiké Hernández remains out with an oblique injury, with his original timeline being six to eight weeks.

Catcher Will Smith, who was initially expected to miss just one game, won't return this series (or anytime soon).

Finally, closer Edwin Diaz remains out while he recovers from elbow surgery, but he has started to make significant progress. The veteran is still expected to return after the All-Star break.

How to Watch Dodgers vs Padres

First pitch for Friday's series opener is 6:45 p.m. PT/9:45 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Apple TV+.

First pitch for Saturday's game is 5:40 p.m. PT/8:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app. It will also be on MLB Network for out-of-market viewers.

First pitch for Sunday's series finale is 1:10 p.m. PT/4:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app.

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