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Padres Notes: Nick Pivetta Return Revealed, Ethan Salas Gets Message, Yuki Matsui Gone?

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Apr 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the New York Yankees, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon and improved to 75-68 on the year.

Michael King fired six scoreless innings of work, but the story of the game was the explosive offense that the Padres brought to secure the series win.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado slammed back-to-back-to-back home runs to start off the game, and Luis Campusano hit his second home run of the series (and No. 7 of the year) to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

In other news, the Padres are planning to make a massive roster move and activate right-hander Nick Pivetta off the 60-day injured list. He will make his return to the mound on Monday for the first time since mid-April as Randy Vásquez will now move out of the rotation and into a bullpen role.

Additionally, Campusano had a message for rookie catcher Ethan Salas amid the start of his MLB career. Though he is just three games in, the veteran backstop noted how well-positioned he is to keep growing in his role.

“He’ll be here learning, and we’ll be here teaching him the ropes and getting his feet wet a little bit," Campusano said. "But he’s young, obviously, and lots to learn, and that’s why we’re here for him, too. To teach him all that stuff. But he’s in a good spot, so excited for him.”

Finally, insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com predicted that Yuki Matsui may be in his final season with San Diego. The southpaw has been one of the best bullpen pieces in baseball, but with two years and $13 million remaining on his deal, Feinsand sees Matsui using his opt-out and testing the open market over the offseason.

"Matsui ranks in the 97th percentile in both whiff percentage and hard-hit percentage, but he’s among the worst in the league when it comes to walk percentage," Feinsaid wrote. "You could argue that Matsui would be one of the five best lefty relievers on the market, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him opt out."

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

Padres Announce Immediate Plans for Nick Pivetta's Return

Padres Veteran Sends Message to Ethan Salas Amid Lack of Playing Time

Padres Could Lose 1.95-ERA Reliever This Offseason, Says Insider

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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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