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Fernando Tatis Jr. isn’t quite slugging like expected.
So the turnaround of his season is rather quiet, especially amid the team’s overall struggles.
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But Tuesday’s four-hit game was the latest sign of Tatis trending in a better direction. The 27-year-old “second baseman” is hitting .375/.432/.463 over his last 20 games heading into Wednesday’s 1:10 p.m. start on Padres.TV.
The Padres, however, are 6-14 over that stretch and haven’t won back-to-back games since May 22-23, which is also the last time they won a series.
They went 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position in 11 innings in failing to clinch the series against the Reds on Tuesday night.
That dropped the Padres (34-32) 8 ½ games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. They are tied with the Diamondbacks (34-32) for the NL’s final wild-card spot, two games ahead of the Reds (32-34).
Tatis (.681 OPS), who still only has one homer, has been entrenched as the team’s leadoff hitter since May 17 and is playing a fourth straight game at second base. Jackson Merrill (.603 OPS) will bat second, followed by third baseman Manny Machado (.595 OPS) and first baseman Gavin Sheets (.756 OPS).
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Will Wagner will get a second straight start at DH after going 1-for-2 with a walk upon joining the team Tuesday from Triple-A El Paso.
Samad Taylor (.955 OPS) will play left field and bat sixth, followed by right fielder Bryce Johnson (.482 OPS), catcher Rodolfo Durán (.503 OPS) and shortstop Sung-Mun Song (.532 OPS), who is starting a second straight game with Xander Bogaerts on the paternity list.
Here is how the Reds will line up for the rubber match:
Wednesday’s pitching matchup
Reds RHP Brady Singer (2-6, 5.89 ERA)
The former Royal is allowing hitters a .316/.374/.590 batting line and has already given up 17 homers, five shy of his career high. Singer has given up multiple homers in five of his last seven starts. Singer’s only appearance against the Padres was a win in a start in 2023 (6 IP, 4 R, 2 ER).
Here is how Singer has fared against current active Padres:
- 1B Gain Sheets (4-for-26, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 7 Ks)
- 1B Ty France (3-for-14, RBI, K)
- OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (1-for-3)
- OF Bryce Johnson (0-for-2, K)
Padres RHP Michael King (4-5, 3.41 ERA)
King has a 7.47 ERA over his last three starts, all losses. He has allowed four of his eight homers over that stretch. He has a 2.87 ERA in 15 ⅔ career innings against the Reds, including two runs in five innings in a no-decision last year and a win in a quality start in 2024 (6 ⅔ IP, 3 ER).
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Here is how King has fared against current Reds:
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 12:09 PM.