The San Diego Padres secured a 5-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night, setting up an intriguing series finale Wednesday afternoon.
Ahead of the matchup, which will feature right-hander Michael King on the mound for San Diego and righty Robert Stock for the Mets, Padres manager Craig Stammen made some notable changes to his lineup.
Padres Announce Manny Machado Decision
After starting the first two games of the series at third base and coming off a three-hit performance Tuesday that included a home run, Stammen is giving Manny Machado the day off from the field.
Machado will remain in the No. 3 spot in the batting order but will serve as the team’s designated hitter for the finale.
Sung-mun Song will start in Machado’s place at third base and bat ninth in the order.
Here’s the full Padres lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Padres 8/19 F. Tatis Jr. RF J. Cronenworth 2B M. Machado DH T. France 1B J. Merrill CF L. Rengifo LF L. Campusano C X. Bogaerts SS S. Song 3B M. King SP.”
Padres 8/19
F. Tatis Jr. RF
J. Cronenworth 2B
M. Machado DH
T. France 1B
J. Merrill CF
L. Rengifo LF
L. Campusano C
X. Bogaerts SS
S. Song 3BM. King SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 19, 2026
Machado’s 2026 Season
Machado is in his 15th MLB season and eighth with the Padres, continuing to produce as an everyday player.
He’s currently batting an underwhelming .217 but has recorded 63 runs, 100 hits, 24 home runs and 71 RBIs while slugging .416 with a .718 OPS.
Padres Right Now
San Diego finds itself in the middle of a crowded National League playoff race, with three teams currently battling for two Wild Card spots and potentially more teams still capable of entering the mix.
The Padres are 68-59 overall and currently hold the third and final Wild Card spot. The Arizona Diamondbacks sit 2.0 games behind them, while the St. Louis Cardinals are 3.0 games back.
San Diego is also just 1.0 game behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
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