Padres on deck: Braves in town for wild-card rematch to start 2025

Thursday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
Friday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
Saturday: 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday: 4:10 p.m. (ESPN)

In the standings

Atlanta Braves (89-73 in 2024, 2nd in the NL East)

The Braves had won six straight division titles before settling for second place and a postseason trip to San Diego at the end of an injury-marred campaign in which Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider were lost for the year and Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Sean Murphy missed large chunks of the season. NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale was even sidelined for the NL wild-card series with injury.

San Diego Padres (93-69 in 2024, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres contended for a division title into the last week of the regular season and earned the NL’s top wild-card spot after going 43-20 in the second half. The Padres won the regular-season series with the Braves, 4-3, and swept Atlanta in two games in the NL wild-card series at Petco Park. San Diego’s season ended a round later in five games in the NLDS at the hands of the Dodgers.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Pitching matchups

Thursday

Braves LHP Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA) | The 35-year-old veteran is coming off the first Cy Young award of his career, as he led the majors in wins and ERA last year. Injury prevented Sale from taking the mound against the Padres in the NL wild-card series, but he struck out 13 over 12 innings of one-run ball over two starts against the Padres in the regular season.
Padres RHP Michael King (13-9, 2.95 ERA in 2024) | He’s coming off a career-high 173 2/3 innings in his first full year as a starter. King did not face the Braves in the regular season, but he struck out 12 over seven shutout innings in a wild-card win over the Braves, allowing just five hits in the start. King finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting.

Friday

Braves RHP Reynaldo Lopez (8-5, 1.99 ERA) | The first-time All-Star made 25 starts last year for the Braves after bouncing from the White Sox to the Angels to the Guardians while throwing 66 innings (3.27 ERA) out of the bullpen. Lopez allowed five runs in 12 1/3 innings (3.65 ERA) in his two starts against the Padres.
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.47 ERA in 2024) | He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in his first year in San Diego, throwing a career-high 189 1/3 innings while topping 210 strikeouts in a fourth straight year. Cease struck out 16 over 10 innings (4.50 ERA) over two starts last year against the Braves.

Saturday

Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (8-7, 3.35 ERA in 2024) | The 24-year-old debuted last year, striking out 127 over 123 2/3 innings across 21 starts with the Braves. He beat the Padres in his only start against them, striking out three over seven innings of one-run ball at Petco Park.
Padres TBD | With RHP Stephen Kolek optioned to Triple-A El Paso, the Padres will give this start to either RHP Randy Vásquez and LHP Kyle Hart. Whoever doesn’t start this game figures to start Monday against the Cleveland Guardians.

Sunday

Braves RHP AJ Smith Shawver (0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2024) | The 22-year-old debuted in 2023 but made just one start last year (4 1/3 IP) before he was asked to start in place of an injured Chris Sale in the wild-card series against the Padres. Smith-Shawver allowed three runs on four hits and a hit batter in 1 1/3 innings.
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (6-12, 4.14 ERA in 2024) | The former Red Sox starter is making his Padres debut after posing a 3.38 ERA across four Cactus League starts (13 1/3 IP). Pivetta struck out 10 over 11 innings (4.09 ERA) across two starts last year against the Braves (1-1).

Returning 2025 clubhouse leaders

OPS: Braves — DH Marcell Ozuna (.925), 1B Matt Olson (.790), 3B Austin Riley (.783); Padres — OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.833), OF Jackson Merrill (.826), 3B Manny Machado (.797).
Homers: Braves — Ozuna (39), Olson (29), Riley (19); Padres — Machado (29), Merrill (24), Tatis (21).
RBIs: Braves — Ozuna (104), Olson (98), Riley (56); Padres — Machado (105), Merrill (90), INF Jake Cronenworth (83).
Steals: Braves — OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (16), OF Michael Harris II (10), 2B Ozzie Albies (8); Padres — Merrill (16), SS Xander Bogarts (13), Machado (11), Tatis (11).
Saves: Braves — RHP Raisel Iglesias (34, 1.95 ERA); Padres — RHP Robert Suarez (36, 2.77 ERA)
Holds: Braves — RHP Joe Jimenez (27, 2.62 ERA), RHP Pierce Johnson (12, 3.67 ERA)), LHP Dylan Lee (9, 2.11 ERA); Padres — RHP Jeremiah Estrada (16, 2.95 ERA), RHP Jason Adam (12, 1.01 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (12, 2.83 ERA).

Training room

Atlanta: OF Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t return from last year’s torn ACL in his right knee until at least the first half of May, while RHP Spencer Strider is also still building back following last year’s Tommy John surgery. C Sean Murphy will open the season on the injured list with a cracked left rib, while RHP Joe Jimenez’s left knee surgery will keep him out until at least August.
San Diego: Elbow inflammation is forcing RHP Yu Darvish to open the season on the 15-day injured list. RHP Matt Waldron (oblique), RHP Jhony Brito (elbow), RHP Sean Reynolds (foot) and RHP Bryan Hoeing (shoulder) are also all on the shelf to start the season, while RHP Joe Musgrove will miss the entire season to Tommy John surgery.