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Padres Notes: SD Cuts Ties With Veteran, Manny Machado Not Happy, 'Surprise' of Month

All the latest Padres news and notes.
Noah Camras|
May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, on Wednesday and moved to 32-28 on the year.

The Padres finally mustered a run against Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez in the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough as Jason Adam allowed a go-ahead home run in the bottom half of the inning.

The Padres are now 0-5 against the Phillies over the last 10 days.

Ahead of Wednesday's game, the Padres made a surprise move, designating veteran Nick Castellanos for assignment.

The move came out of nowhere, but also was a long time coming given Castellanos' struggles this season.

The two-time All-Star hit just .191 with four home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of .560 this year. He also was one of the game's worst defenders, with negative-4 Outs Above Average.

Nevertheless, Castellanos was a great clubhouse presence, and manager Craig Stammen admitted it was difficult to see him go.

“Nick's such a pro,” Stammen said. “I've really enjoyed having him here in San Diego. We had conversations with him when we signed him that he was going to earn his playing time, and it was probably going to be a different role for him. It wasn't going to be an everyday role that he was accustomed to for the last 12-15 years, his entire life playing baseball.

“I think that was definitely something that was tough for him. It was tough for him to transition from playing every single day to playing two days, then two days off."

The Padres called up utility man Samad Taylor in Castellanos' place to add some speed and defensive versatility to the bench. Across 51 games at Triple-A this year, Taylor hit .319 with seven home runs, 25 RBIs, nine stolen bases and an OPS of .906.

While the move made sense on paper, it wasn't one that Manny Machado took kindly.

The leader of the Padres wasn't happy with the team's decision, and took responsibility for their offensive struggles.

“The issue is not Nick,” Machado said. “I don’t think that was the move to try to make this offense better. For us to get to where we want to get to, it’s going to take the big guys in the middle of the order to swing the bats hot, and we’re not doing that right now.”

In other news, the Padres were named the biggest surprise of May by an MLB analyst. San Diego was somehow able to win games with the best three hitters in their lineup — Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill — all struggling.

As of late, though, the Padres have been unable to put together wins.

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

Padres Cut Ties With Nick Castellanos Amid Series vs Phillies in Shocking Move

Padres' Manny Machado Not Happy With Nick Castellanos Getting Cut

Padres Named Biggest Surprise of May by MLB Analyst

Padres' Nick Castellanos Discusses Interactions With Phillies Fans

Padres Could Get Major Pitching Reinforcement off 60-Day Injured List This Month

Padres Manager Hopes 25-Year-Old Prospect Will 'Ignite' Team After Call-Up

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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