Inside The Padres

Padres Notes: Catcher Shut Down With Injury, Joe Musgrove Update, Jake Cronenworth Leadoff?

All the latest Padres news and notes.
Noah Camras|
Sep 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after hitting a single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrates after hitting a single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres lost Monday's Cactus League matchup against the Athletics, 7-2, in a rough spring showing.

Michael King, who made just 15 starts last season dealing with a nerve issue in his shoulder and a knee injury, struggled in his second Cactus League outing. The right-hander lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with two walks. His spring training ERA is up to 9.00 across two starts.

There was some interesting news that came out before the game, as manager Craig Stammen inserted Jake Cronenworth into the leadoff spot in the lineup. While Xander Bogaerts has hit leadoff in a majority of spring games thus far, he's currently with Team Netherlands getting set for the World Baseball Classic.

With that being said, Stammen was asked if Cronenworth's spot in the lineup was more of a spring training oddity, or if it was potentially a "thing" for the regular season.

“I think it is a thing,” Stammen said. “We just kind of want to see. Leadoff is the one spot we’re just not quite sure of who’s going to be in that spot in the lineup. Maybe it (depends on) different handedness (of the opposing pitcher). Maybe it’s all the time. So you might see a few different options here with the WBC guys gone.”

In other news, a Padres catcher has suffered an oblique injury in camp that will sideline him for the foreseeable future. Blake Hunt, who joined the team on a minor league deal in December, has been shut down from spring training. The Padres' catching depth, which was already thin, has now taken another hit.

Finally, Stammen announced that right-hander Joe Musgrove will make his long-awaited return to the mound on Wednesday in the team's exhibition against Great Britain. This will be Musgrove's first appearance since the 2024 Wild Card game, where he exited with an elbow injury that was later diagnosed as a torn UCL.

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

Padres Catcher Suffers Oblique Injury, Shut Down in Spring Training

Padres Announce Exciting Joe Musgrove News

Padres Manager Open to Using Surprise Player in Leadoff Spot This Season

Padres Pitching Coach Provides Exciting Walker Buehler Update Amid Spring Training

2 Padres Under-the-Radar Pickups Already Turning Heads in Spring Training

Padres Manager Provides Update on Major Camp Battle

Why The World Baseball Classic is Crucial for $15 Million Star Staying With Padres

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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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