With less than a month left in the regular season, the San Diego Padres are almost at full strength.
After getting All-Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. back from the 60-day injured list for Monday’s 3-0 win over the Tigers, San Diego will welcome Opening Day starter Yu Darvish back to the rotation on Wednesday night when it continues a three-game set with visiting Detroit.
Darvish (4-3, 3.20 ERA) last pitched on May 29 — when he took a loss against the Miami Marlins — and has been on the shelf since, first with a groin strain and then with elbow inflammation. Darvish halted his rehab in July, going on the restricted list because of a personal family matter, before returning to the team on Aug. 23.
Darvish, who ripped off 25 straight scoreless innings earlier this season, has dominated Detroit in his career. He is 7-0 in eight starts against the Tigers, posting a 3.35 ERA while fanning 58 in 53 2/3 innings.
Tatis went 0-for-4 on Monday in his first game since June 21, but his return to the lineup was met with a big ovation from a sellout crowd. With Tatis active, San Diego manager Mike Shildt was able to give Jurickson Profar a day off for the first time since June 22.
“Him coming back and being able to be on the field is a big lift,” Shildt said of Tatis. “I mean, his energy is great. It’s infectious. … I know he’s excited and talking to him about how good he feels, about how well the team’s played and the energy to the team and how everything’s going, he’s just ready to do his part.”
San Diego (79-61) went into Tuesday’s off day — the Padres’ first break since Aug. 15 — with a one-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the National League’s top wild-card spot. San Diego trails the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by five games in the NL West.
Meanwhile, Detroit (70-69) suffered just its sixth setback in 21 games on Monday but lost no ground in its pursuit of the American League’s third and final wild-card spot. The Tigers still trail the Kansas City Royals by five games with 23 regular-season games remaining.
Excellent pitching has been the primary reason for Detroit’s recent surge, but the Tigers have also gotten major contributions from utility man Zach McKinstry, who hit .368 in August while playing five different positions.
“I can plug Zach in wherever, and when he’s performing at this rate, why wouldn’t I? Zach’s been incredible these last few weeks,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “His ability to play multiple positions is one thing, but the fact that he does it well is the most important part.”
After back-to-back bullpen games, Detroit will go back to a conventional starter on Wednesday, sending rookie right-hander Keider Montero (4-6, 5.17) to the mound. Montero last pitched on Thursday, taking a loss against the Los Angeles Angels after yielding three runs and five hits in five innings.
Montero has never faced the Padres.
–Field Level Media
