Acquiring a left fielder would allow San Diego to keep Sheets (.843 OPS) as its designated hitter, while improving its outfield defense and potentially even strengthening the lineup.

While no specific trade targets are mentioned, clubs like the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins are widely expected to be sellers this summer. San Diego also has a history of striking deals well ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

The Padres could target someone like Orioles’ outfielder Cedric Mullins, who has a .767 OPS this season and could thrive making the transition from center to left field. San Diego could roll the dice on Luis Robert, asking the White Sox to eat a small portion of his salary and hoping he turns it around in a new environment. At the very least, it’s clear that the Padres front office has the green light to try and improve the roster this season.

Padres’ Michael King scratched from start vs. Braves

The San Diego Padres will be without starting pitcher Michael King against the Atlanta Braves after he was scratched with shoulder tightness.

The San Diego Padres will be without their ace on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. Michael King was scratched from his start, and manager Mike Shildt will hand the ball to Sean Reynolds to start the game. It is a tough spot for the 27-year-old reliever to come into, especially after seeing what Ronald Acuna Jr. did to his team on Friday.

The decision to scratch King from his start comes as the former New York Yankee deals with shoulder stiffness in his throwing arm, according to the team’s social media page.

His absence hurts the Padres ahead of their game against the Braves. San Diego won the opening game of the three-game set 2-1 on Friday, but Acuna Jr.’s return makes the Braves so much more dangerous offensively.

King is in the middle of a great season despite his latest setback. At 4-2, he has the second-best record on the team behind only Nick Pivetta. Their success comes at a crucial time in the season while Dylan Cease continues to struggle. King held the lead in innings pitched for Shildt before Pivetta got through six innings on Friday.

Shoulder injuries normally aren’t a good sign for starting pitchers. Even if it is minor stiffness, those injuries can linger and prevent them from playing at their best. For a starter as good as King, the Padres shouldn’t be worried. However, King’s recovery is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

King’s absence hurts for San Diego as it tries to stay close to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. Six games separate the Dodgers from the fourth-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the division. The Padres are only three games back after a great start to 2025.

King’s injury isn’t as severe as it could have been, but the team could be without him for a while. Hopefully, Shildt and the Padres are just being cautious with their ace. If it is simply muscle tightness, King could make it back before his next scheduled start.

What makes Manny Machado’s Padres tenure so ‘unreal’

Manny Machado detailed how his time with the Padres has been unreal, considering how long he’s been with the team.

The San Diego Padres and Manny Machado seem like a match made in heaven. The superstar third baseman has been exactly what the franchise has needed.

After spending seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, it’s been the same amount of time in San Diego. As Machado explained to the San Diego Union Tribune, it’s a dream.

“I’ve spent more time here than I did in Baltimore, and I felt like we spent a lifetime over there as well,” Machado said. “It’s kind of unreal.”

During his time with the Padres, Machado has had an impressive stint. He’s been to three All-Star games and placed in the top three in MVP voting twice.

San Diego has been on a roll to start the season. They are 27-18 and sit comfortably in second place in the National League West. They still trail the Los Angeles Dodgers, but are putting serious pressure on them.