Padres on deck: Starting the second half in Kansas City

San Diego Padres at Kansas City Royals

• Game 1: 5:10 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV, KFMB 8.1/CBS, TV Azteca)
• Game 2: 1:10 p.m. Saturday (Padres.TV)
• Game 3: 11:10 a.m. Sunday (Padres.TV)

In the standings

San Diego Padres (48-48, 3rd in NL West)

The Padres won the final series of the first half, but they are 12½ games behind the Dodgers and another game behind the Diamondbacks in the division. The Padres are also 3 ½ games out of a wild-card spot with four teams to leapfrog to get back into playoff position. The Padres took two of three last year against the Royals in San Diego.

Kansas City Royals (38-59, 5th in AL Central)

A wild-card team in 2024, the Royals finished two games over .500 last year and this year are 13 games behind the White Sox and Guardians in the AL Central. Kansas City’s .392 winning percentage is tied with the Angels for the worst in the majors. The Royals have lost five in row.

Trending

San Diego: The Padres rank 22nd in run differential (minus-43), 30th in OPS (.672), 27th in rotation ERA (4.78) and sixth in bullpen ERA (3.68). 3B Manny Machado leads the team with three homers and a .977 OPS in July. The only other regular with an OPS over .615 this month is OF Jackson Merrill (.727), while both 1B Gavin Sheets (.558) and SS Xander Bogaerts (.549) both have an OPS under .600 in July.

Kansas City: The Royals rank 28th in run differential (minus-88), 18th in OPS (.712), 25th in rotation ERA (4.69) and last in bullpen ERA (5.33). Three Royals have two homers this month—OF Isaac Collins (1.049 OPS), OF Lane Thomas (.989 OPS) and 2B Tyler Tolbert (1.500 OPS). Among regulars, OF Jac Caglianone (.633), SS Bobby Witt Jr. (.605) and C Carter Jensen (.451 OPS) have an OPS under .640 in July.

Pitching matchups

Friday

Padres RHP Michael King (6-7, 3.41 ERA)   |   He has quality starts in three of his last four trips to the mound (2.70 ERA). King has a 3.83 ERA in eight road starts this year and a 3.32 ERA in 19 career innings against the Royals. He last faced them in a start in 2024 (7 IP, 1 ER).

Royals RHP Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.56 ERA)   |   The 36-year-old former Padre has a 3.72 ERA in three seasons since leaving San Diego as a free agent. The Royals have lost three of Lugo’s last four starts (8.38 ERA). He struck out seven over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Padres last year and has a 2.63 ERA in 27 1/3 career innings against the Padres.

Saturday

Padres RHP Griffin Canning (1-7, 6.47 ERA)   |   He has a 6.56 ERA in 10 starts and a 6.00 ERA in three appearances behind an opener. He is 0-6 as a starter and 1-1 as the bulk reliever. Canning has a 3.46 ERA over his last three appearances (13 IP). Canning has a 1.48 ERA in five starts (30 1/3 IP) against the Royals, the last in 2024 (5 2/3 IP, 0 ER).

Royals TBA   |   Manager Matt Quatraro has not announced a starter for Game 2. RHP Stephen Kolek (4-3, 4.50 ERA) is on the family medical emergency list and his status is TBD.

Sunday

Padres RHP German Marquez (4-2, 5.18 ERA)   |   He has a 3.75 ERA in three appearances (12 IP) since returning from forearm nerve inflammation, the last two being starts (9 IP, 3 ER). Marquez has a 2.75 ERA in four appearances on the road and a 7.36 ERA in five starts at Petco Park. He has a 6.19 ERA in three starts against the Royals, the last in 2025 (4 IP, 6 ER).

Royals LHP Noah Cameron (5-7, 4.89 ERA)   |   The second-year starter’s ERA is nearly two runs higher than last year (2.99), when he finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Cameron has a 7.20 ERA over his last six starts. He lost his start last year against the Padres in Kansas City (5 1/3 IP, 2 ER).

Qualifying leaders

• OPS: Padres—1B Gavin Sheets (.748), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.714), 3B Manny Machado (.708); Royals—SS Bobby Witt Jr. (.816), OF Jac Caglianone (.782), C Carter Jensen (.724).
• HRs: Padres—Machado (19), Sheets (14), 1B Ty France (11); Royals—Caglianone (15), Jensen (13), Witt (13).
• RBIs: Padres—Machado (55), Sheets (40), OF Jackson Merrill (38); Royals—Jensen (49), Witt (39), C Salvador Perez (37).
• Steals: Padres—Tatis (23), Merrill (19), SS Xander Bogaerts (12); Royals—Witt (30), UT Tyler Tolbert (10), three tied with 5.
• Saves: Padres—RHP Mason Miller (25-for-25, 0.91 ERA); Royals—RHP Lucas Erceg (12-for-18, 5.11 ERA), RHP Alex Lange (8-for-8, 5.92 ERA).
• Holds: Padres—RHP Jason Adam (17, 2.51 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (15, 3.42 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (6, 3.48 ERA), RHP Bradgley Rodriguez (6, 2.23 ERA); Royals—LHP Matt Strahm (11, 7.18 ERA), LHP Daniel Lynch (10, 2.35 ERA), RHP John Schreiber (6, 3.47 ERA).

Training room

San Diego: RHP David Morgan (left knee) began a minor league rehab assignment at Wednesday in the Arizona Complex League, while RHP Randy Vasquez (ankle) began his rehab assignment on Tuesday in Arizona. RHPs Jeremiah Estrada (right knee) and Lucas Gioloto (elbow) have resumed throwing bullpens. C Freddy Fermin (head contusion) has started a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso but he’s only serve as the DH so far. RHP Jason Adam (shoulder) isn’t expected back until August. RHPs Nick Pivetta (flexor) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) have moved their throwing programs to the mound. OF Samad Taylor (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.

Kansas City: 3B Maikel Garcia (hand) is not swinging a bat yet and does not have a time table. OF Kyle Isbel (plantar fasciitis) could return in August, while 2B Jonathan India (shoulder) is done for the year. The pitching staff is without RHPs Nick Mears (shoulder), Connor Seabold (lat), Carlos Estevez (rotator cuff), James McArthur (elbow) and Alec Marsh (shoulder) and LHPs Kris Bubic (shoulder) and Cole Ragans (elbow).