San Diego, CA - April 14: Ramón Laureano #5 of the San Diego Padres hits a triple in the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images) The San Diego Padres played a seven-game home stand after taking 4-of-6 on the road. They swept the Colorado Rockies in dramatic fashion with a Xander Bogaerts walk-off grand slam one night and a Gavin Sheets walk-off the next night.

They added eight home runs to their season total in the four games.The Friars then swept the Seattle Mariners over three games and Bogaerts added another home run to his total. They won using power, base running, small ball and situational hitting; showing the range of talent they possess up and down the line up. A far cry from the 2025 season that started with a similar winning way but almost all the production came from the top of the line up.Dia de los MuertosThe Padres debuted their new City Connect jersey during the homestand, paying tribute to the Dia de los Muertos holiday as well as the colors for the 1998 Padres team.

They won for the first time in their new duds. The organization also sold $1.1 million of merchandise on the day of release (April 9).Veterans have off daysPadres manager Craig Stammen has been liberal with off days for his veteran players, giving playing time to the bench and moving Fernando Tatis Jr. from right field to second base on Saturday and Sunday during the Rockies series. Both Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth got days off while Tatis Jr. became reacquainted with the middle infield.When asked, Stammen explained his desire to keep his players fresh throughout the season and it all began with giving Manny Machado a day off in April.

Machado had his first day off in 2025 during the month of September. He also slumped drastically the end of last season, admitting to being fatigued. It seems Stammen is determined for that to not happen this year with Machado or anyone else.Padres visit the ILWhen Jason Adam came off the IL to join the Padres after his injury rehab, Jeremiah Estrada took his place with elbow tendinitis.

His velocity had been noticeably decreased with his fastball, down 3-4 mph from his top of 97 mph. His other pitches also showed a loss of velocity and he was being hit hard.Nick Pivetta left his start on Sunday versus the Mariners after three perfect innings. It was obvious that something was really wrong as he kicked at the rubber, yelled into his glove and bit it as Stammen and a trainer walked out to the mound.

There was minimal discussion and Pivetta left the game. It was revealed the next day that Pivetta would go on the IL and he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. A serious injury, flexor strains take weeks to months to heal at best.The Padres had a scare when catcher Freddy Fermin took two deflected balls into his face mask on April 15, but he did not need the concussion protocol and was rested for two days before returning to the lineup.

For back up, the Padres pulled catcher Rudolfo Duran from El Paso minutes after Fermin was removed in San Diego. He was with the Padres the next day, on the taxi squad, in case of any issue with Luis Campusano.Sung-Mun Song optioned to Triple-AThe Padres signed Song during the offseason to serve as a super utility player for the Padres. He came to Spring Training recovering from an oblique strain and aggravated the injury during camp.

Starting the season on the IL, Song completed his rehab on Wednesday and was reinstated then optioned to El Paso.His stats with the Chihuahuas have improved in most areas but with a few concerning spots. Although he is hitting .276/.364/.310 in 58 at-bats he has eight walks and 17 strikeouts. He has no home runs and two doubles with no stolen bases.

Defensively, he has played 3B, 2B and SS but has not played in the outfield. He has also been the DH. Making better contact and cutting down on strikeouts will need to happen before he can be considered a better option than what the Padres currently have.Luis Campusano on a tearAfter starting the season slowly, Campusano was the quiet hero during the homestand.

Although he didn’t hit the game-winning hits in any of the comeback wins or rallies, Campusano hit a home run and multiple doubles during almost every rally. He is currently hitting .300/.364/.533 with an .897 OPS. He has four doubles and a home run with six RBI.

The faith and confidence that the Padres have shown since the start of Spring Training is being repaid. It seems that what Campusano needed was an opportunity, and some confidence, in order to show what he can do.Ramon Laureano is the manAn adage often heard among the Friar media and fans is that the Padres will go as Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. go. It is usually true that those two lead the team offensively in one way or another. But to start 2026, after the first 20 games, left fielder Ramon Laureano leads in almost all categories while Mac