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Padres Notes: Friars Targeting NL West Reliever, Major Trade Deadline Update, Fernando Tatis Ends Drought

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
May 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (23)singles against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
May 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (23)singles against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres lost to the Washington Nationals, 9-4, on Saturday afternoon and fell to 32-25 on the year.

Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts went yard in the triumph, and after 239 plate appearances, Fernando Tatis Jr. finally hit his first long ball of the season.

Michael King allowed four earned runs across six innings of work and struck out a pair of Nationals as his ERA on the year rose to 3.04. The bullpen then struggled as Washington pulled away late.

In other news, the Friars are targeting another reliever to add to their elite bullpen, and are reportedly looking within their own division to do so. The would-be move includes a right-hander who has team control through the 2027 campaign, which would not only better position the Friars to make a deep October run, but stack the deck for the following season as well.

Additionally, as the trade deadline approaches, San Diego is being faced with a tough question. At this point in the season, a quest for the first championship in franchise history is very much on the table, but will the necessary pieces to do so cost too many future pieces and prospects?

One Padres insider revealed a promising update on that front.

Finally, the pure elation seen from Tatis after crushing his first home run of the year (a 451-foot rocket in the fifth inning) was certainly shared with Friars Faithful watching from home.

The drought-ender left his bat at 114 mph with a launch angle of 24 degrees. Saturday also marked Tatis' fifth multi-hit game in his last six contests, and is hopefully the start of the offensive production that the baseball world is used to seeing from the superstar.

Manager Craig Stammen, who got ejected for the first time this year, spoke after the game on what it meant for not only Tatis to finally get on the board, but how positively the team reacted.

“He’s been carrying that burden, the team has been carrying that burden,” Stammen said. “He finally got it. It was a good celebration in the dugout. It’s what baseball is all about, acting like little 10-year-olds.”

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres Targeting NL West Rival Reliever in Blockbuster Trade Deadline Move

San Diego Padres Facing Tough Question Ahead of 2026 MLB Trade Deadline

Watch Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr Finally Hit First Home Run of 2026

Padres Suddenly Have a Top 5 Prospect in All of MLB

Padres Insider Provides Exciting News on Team's Trade Deadline Plans

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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