Padres Lineup vs Dodgers: Fernando Tatis Leading Off, Nick Castellanos Starting

The two NL West teams face off for first place in the division.

Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates as he scores as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) looks on during the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers square off in their first series of the 2026 season. Both National League West teams are coming off clean sweeps of their respective opponents over the weekend in the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels.

Now, the Padres and Dodgers will battle for first place in the division beginning Monday at Petco Park. The Friars enter the series just a half game behind the World Series champions with a 28-18 record. The Dodgers arrive to San Diego at 29-18 on the season.

The matchup is notable for several reasons, but one in particular is this will be manager Craig Stammen's first series against the juggernaut Dodgers. His predecessor, Mike Shildt, had several intense moments with Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts.

Fans will be anxious to see whether one of baseball's best rivalries will continue with Stammen at the helm. Roberts was asked in the offseason whether he felt that he and the new Padres manager would get into it at some point throughout 2026.

"I'm not going to butt heads with Stammen. No way. I just don't see that happening," Roberts said this spring.

The Padres-Dodgers series this week will be evidence of the validity of Roberts' remarks.

Padres Starting Lineup

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Miguel Andujar, DH
3. Gavin Sheets, 1B
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Jackson Merrill, CF
7. Nick Castellanos, RF
8. Ramón Laureano, LF
9. Rodolfo Durán, C

Padres vs Dodgers Pitching Matchup on Monday

Both teams will have their aces on the mound for Monday's series opener.

Michael King will get the start for the Padres. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 50 strikeouts across 51.1 innings pitched this season.

Opposite King is Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has posted a 3.60 ERA with 48 strikeouts across 50 innings of work in 2026. He is 3-3 on the season.

How to Watch Padres vs Dodgers on Monday

First pitch for Padres vs. Dodgers on Monday, May 18 is 6:40 p.m. PT/9:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV and in the MLB app.

The Padres announced that games will also be available via cable on the following channels:

• Cox (Channel 83)
• DirecTV (Channel 694-3)
• AT&T Uverse (Channel 781 or 1781)
• Spectrum (Channel 305 or 443)

Games will be broadcast on the radio on 97.3 The Fan (in English) and XEMO 860 (in Spanish).

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