Tuesday, April 08

SAN DIEGO -- By the time Luis Arraez joined the Padres last May, Fernando Tatis Jr. was already hobbled. He was playing through a right leg injury that would later be revealed to be a stress reaction, bordering on a stress fracture.

Tatis kept playing right up until the All-Star break. He missed two months, before returning for the stretch run. But when he was on the field last season, he was without one of the most important -- and exciting -- parts of his game: His wheels. As such, the Padres inserted Arraez into the leadoff spot and didn't really think twice about it.

Until this year, that is. In a minor surprise, a now-healthy Tatis has taken hold of that leadoff spot (despite the fact that Arraez batted there for most of Spring Training).

"I like it," Tatis said. "I feel like I can start the game with an infield hit or a home run. [If I] hit a bloop, I can steal a bag. I'm just creating a situation out of the gate."

On Opening Weekend, Tatis did precisely that. During Thursday's opener, Tatis recorded three hits and stole two bases. In the entirety of his 2024 campaign Tatis didn't record a multi-steal game. By Day 1 in '25, he had already done so.

"I mean, last year I was standing on one leg," Tatis said. "You can really see how healthy I'm at right now. ... I'm really happy. It's a huge part of my game, one of my favorite parts of the game. I really missed it."

Tatis' insertion into the leadoff spot was less of a surprise on Opening Day, when the Padres faced left-hander Chris Sale. Manager Mike Shildt hinted that might be possible, and he'd used Tatis at the top against a lefty late in Spring Training.

The bigger surprise came on Day 2 when Tatis remained in the leadoff spot against Braves righty Reynaldo López.

"It's something we were playing with," Shildt said. "He looked really comfortable. Luis is comfortable hitting second. [Tatis] looked good, and we'll see what it looks like continuing. I think it's a good spot for him."

A few hours later, Tatis took the first pitch he saw from López and launched it deep into the left-field seats, 111 mph off the bat. He might be in the leadoff spot to stay.

Just before the season, Tatis, Arraez and Shildt sat down to discuss the top of the lineup. Shildt broached the possibility of Tatis moving into the top spot.

“We talked about it, me, him and Arraez, just to see how we could put the best version of ourselves out there,” said Tatis, who reached base at a .529 clip during the Padres’ sweep. “Good conversations all around. We decided to go that way. Man, it’s paying off.”

• How did Brandon Lockridge handle the butterflies of his first Opening Day? He turned to Jason Heyward, his platoon partner in left field, in the locker next to his.

"J-Hey, he was awesome, man," Lockridge said. "He told me, 'Hey, this is 16 [Opening Days] for me, and I still get butterflies.' ... To know that guys that have had numerous Opening Days are still getting those nerves on Opening Day, it made mine feel normal."

• "We're very intentional about our work," Shildt said. "Because when we start a season, there's nothing a player is going to see in a game that we haven't worked on in Spring Training. But we didn't work on that one.

Shildt was alluding to this crazy bounce and the ensuing smooth play from pitcher Jeremiah Estrada, who struck out Jarred Kelenic, then completed the out by playing a wacky carom off the backstop and flipping to first base.

"I don't know how to explain it," Estrada said. "I saw it quick. I don't want that guy to get on first. So I'm like: 'I'm going to go get that ball.'"

• At this time a season ago, the Padres' bullpen was largely unsettled. Roles were unclear. Some big-time arms, like Estrada, had yet to break out and establish themselves.

This year is notably different – and perhaps it’s no coincidence that bullpen has a 0.56 ERA after four games. A handful of the relievers I've talked to have said part of the reason behind their success has been how well-defined (and well-communicated) their roles are. I asked Shildt about that concept and thought he summed it up well:

"It's important that when the phone rings that guys mostly know who it's for," Shildt said.

Jackson Merrill became the second Padres center fielder to record four RBIs on Opening Day. On Opening Day 2005 in Colorado, who was the first to do so?

A. Mike Cameron

B. Brian Giles

C. Xavier Nady

D. Jay Payton

• Jake Cronenworth struggled against lefties last season, but after his dramatic game-winning homer on Friday, he wanted to make one thing clear: "It's a new year, guys," he said.

• It remains to be seen whether the Padres can match their roster depth from last season. So far, so good. They're getting contributions from all corners of their roster.  

• The Padres won on Opening Day using the same formula they used during their 2024 second-half surge.

• Nick Pivetta was everything the Padres could’ve hoped for in his debut, pitching the Padres to their second 4-0 start in franchise history.

The Padres welcome the reigning AL Central champion Guardians for a three-game series this week before they embark on their first road trip of the season, beginning this weekend.

Tonight's game -- Kyle Hart's Padres debut -- is also Jackson Merrill bobblehead night. Select tickets remain available to all three games.

PADRES.TV is back for the 2025 season, allowing fans to stream regular-season games in the San Diego area without blackouts. (That offer -- available now for $99.99 -- is only for fans in the Padres’ home TV territory and a separate service from the MLB.TV out-of-market package.)

C. Nady started in center field during the 2005 opener at Coors Field, hitting two home runs while driving in four.

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