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Padres Notes: SD Cuts Ties With Veteran Pitcher, Announce Starters for Braves Series, Playoffs Possible?

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Jun 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) and Padres relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio (97) come off the field during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jun 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) and Padres relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio (97) come off the field during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres demolished the Kansas City Royals, 19-2, on Sunday afternoon and improved to 49-50 on the year as they avoided the sweep at Kauffman Stadium.

Right-hander Germán Márquez got the start and punched out a pair while allowing as many earned runs. Then, Yuki Matsui struck out three across two perfect innings of work, Randy Vásquez struck out two over three scoreless innings and Wandy Peralta finished things off with a 10-pitch ninth inning.

Offensively, Jackson Merrill and Ty France each had a two-home run game (including both slugging long balls in the ninth) while Luis Rengifo and Sung-Mun Song both had three-hit performances.

France, Jase Bowen and Fernando Tatis Jr. all had two-hit games, with one of Tatis' hits being his seventh home run of the year and second game in a row with a deep shot.

It was a much-needed win for the Padres to head into their next series with some momentum.

Ahead of the eventual thrashing, the Friars cut ties with a veteran pitcher as part of a major roster move that activated Vásquez from the injured list. The right-hander who was designated for assignment logged 47 innings of work and attained a 4.79 ERA in those 33 appearances this season.

Additionally, the Friars announced their starting pitchers for what is a critical series against the Atlanta Braves this week. Starting pitching has been an area of disappointment for San Diego this season, and with the impending trade deadline on Aug. 3, the Padres need to keep winning to prove to president of baseball operations that this team is worth buying for.

Finally, and perhaps the reason why the Padres are wary to make trades in a distinctive direction, some of the team's decision makers are reportedly skeptical as to if there will be a postseason for San Diego this year.

A team insider revealed the harsh truth that many around the organization believe about the current team, but a flurry of deadline trades and key pieces returning from the injured list can certainly have them singing a different tune.

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

Padres Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher, Bring Back Randy Vasquez in 4-Player Roster Move

Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Season-Deciding Series vs Braves

Padres' Decision Makers Skeptical About Making Playoffs in 2026

Padres' Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta Take Major Steps Toward Return

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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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