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Padres Notes: SD Linked to Yankees Star, Ethan Salas Breaks Through, Michael King to Opt Out?

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 13, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (8) reacts at third base after hitting a triple against San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas (8) reacts at third base after hitting a triple against San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants, 6-4, on Sunday and improved to 81-68 on the year with their seventh consecutive win and second series sweep in a row. The Friars hold a 2.5=game advantage for the final wild-card spot in the National League, and are just 1.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs for better seeding.

Nick Pivetta struck out five across four innings of work and allowed two earned runs on the way. Fernando Tatis Jr. collected three hits and a pair of RBIs while rookie backstop Ethan Salas earned the first hit of his MLB career, a fourth-inning triple.

Not only did Salas become the youngest player to triple for their first career hit since 2012, but he was 106 days older than the last person to do it, Manny Machado, who is not only his current teammate but also homered in the second inning during Sunday's win.

In other news, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports linked the Padres to a New York Yankees superstar in the upcoming free agency class. The insider brought up the lack of middle infielders with tons of upside in this offseason's class, and with 31 home runs and 81 RBIs last season, perhaps it would be a great pairing in San Diego.

Additionally, Michael King has been predicted to opt out of the final two years and $58 million of his contract this offseason according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"The 31-year-old King is the other candidate ... to stand first in line behind [Tarik] Skubal, and it makes sense for him to forgo the final two years and $58 million on his deal — particularly with the $5 million buyout he'd cash in," Passan wrote. "Will he opt-out: Yes." 

King is currently has a 3.03 ERA, 148 strikeouts to 66 walks and a bWAR of 4.2, a career-high. His 175 innings, also a career mark, have been particularly useful to the Padres this season where starting pitching has been inconsistent.

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

Padres Expected to Pursue Yankees Superstar in Free Agency

Padres Star Michael King's Opt-Out Decision is Obvious, Says Insider

Padres' 27-Year-Old Ex-Top Prospect Has Finally Broken Out After Years of Struggles

Former Padres All-Star Could Suddenly Retire Amid 12th Season in MLB

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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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