The Royals will see a familiar face behind the plate on Saturday. The Padres will not see a familiar arm.
Right-hander Stephen Kolek is making a rehab start instead of returning directly from the family medical leave list to the Royals rotation. Meantime, Freddy Fermin — whom the Padres acquired when they sent Kolek and Ryan Bergert to Kansas City last year — is starting behind the plate a day after returning from the 10-day injured list for a head contusion.
The game behind the plate will be Fermin’s first since July 17. He served as a the DH three times while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso to give his head a break from all the foul tips off his mask.
Saturday’s first pitch is at 1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV.
Fermin (.520 OPS) will bat ninth. Meantime, Gavin Sheets (.738 OPS) will serve as the left field and bat fifth and Ty France (.830 OPS) will play first and bat sixth.
Saturday starters. pic.twitter.com/TcxApSa6nO
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 18, 2026
Friday’s loss dropped the Padres (48-49) a game under .500. They are 3 ½ games out of a wild-card spot, with five teams to overtake to get into playoff position.
Here is how the Royals, who snapped a five-game skid on Friday, will line up for Game 2:
Powder Blue Saturday. pic.twitter.com/aJVpfcYZOw
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) July 18, 2026
Saturday’s pitching matchup
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).
Here is how Canning has fared against current Padres:
Royals RHP Randy Dobnak (0-0, 1.86 ERA)
He’s getting the start because Kolek will get a tune-up start in the minors. Kolek (4-3, 4.50 ERA) has not pitched since July 2 and made his previous start before that on June 21 as he went on paternity leave on June 26. Kolek’s daughter, Faye, was born seven weeks premature.
Dobnak, 31, threw four innings of two-run ball on July 2 (64 pitches) and 5 2/3 shutout innings on July 8 (95 pitches).
He has not faced the Padres and only has history with three current Padres:
- DH Miguel Andujar (1-for-3, HR)
- SS Xander Bogaerts (0-for-1, BB)
- INF Luis Rengifo (1-for-2)
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.sandiegouniontribune.com ’
