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Padres Notes: Yankees Series Preview, Unfortunate Michael King Prediction, Ethan Salas Playing Time

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Aug 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) delivers during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Aug 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King (34) delivers during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are currently a half-game out of the final wild-card spot in the National League and must secure every win they can over the course of their next 22 games as they fight for a postseason spot.

The Friars will look to earn their first win of September against the New York Yankees with a three-game weekend series at Petco Park. The starting pitchers for both sides have been announced in what should be a critical series with major postseason implications.

In other news, an MLB insider made an unfortunate prediction regarding right-hander Michael King and his future with San Diego beyond this season. The 31-year-old is pitching to the tune of a 3.11 ERA across 28 starts and has an option in his current contract to either play out the 2027 season for a salary of $32 million or test the free agency market.

Finally, young catcher Ethan Salas made his MLB debut on Wednesday and appears to be the future of the franchise, but manager Craig Stammen was noncommittal when asked about his playing time for the remainder of this season.

“We’ll see,” Stammen said. “Go out and get a bunch of hits, it’s hard to keep a guy out of the lineup like that. I think one thing we do know is he’s a very good defensive catcher. He can hold his own back there. The game-calling piece, we’re gonna work with him on that, try to get him up to speed with how we game plan, and then we’ll see what he’s like with the bat, and then we’ll go from there.”

Salas amassed a .296 batting average, 10 home runs and 61 RBIs this season across the Double-A and Triple-A ranks. Though his MLB debut was less-than-ideal (0-for-4 with two strikeouts), he spoke after the game on wanting to stay consistent each day and contribute to the cause.

“I’m up here just to be me and keep helping the team win,” Salas said. “Just trying to be the same guy every single day, be the same all year, and trying to help where I can. Nothing changes.”

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

Padres, Yankees Announce Starting Pitchers for Crucial Series in San Diego

Padres Receive Unfortunate Michael King Free Agency Prediction

Padres Manager Noncommittal on Ethan Salas' Playing Time After Call-Up

Manny Machado Needs Rest, But Can the Padres Afford to Give it To Him?

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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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