First-year manager Craig Stammen is making strategic moves early in the season, showing a keen eye for maximizing his roster's potential. As the Padres face another left-handed pitcher, Ty France gets the nod at first base over Gavin Sheets for the Friday evening showdown against the Detroit Tigers. Meanwhile, backup catcher Luis Campusano is also stepping into the lineup, maintaining the top five spots from opening day.
In a tactical shift, left fielder Ramón Laureano will move up to bat sixth, followed by France in the seventh spot. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth will bat eighth, with Campusano rounding out the order in ninth.
Campusano, at 27, finds himself out of options but on the team despite a quiet spring showing (.572 OPS). He demonstrated power last year with 25 homers and a 1.036 OPS in the Pacific Coast League, though he struggled in the majors, going hitless in 21 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. His last major league hit was back in August 2024.
Ty France forced his way onto the roster with an impressive spring, hitting .306/.352/.510 with two homers in 54 plate appearances. His roster spot was also influenced by Sung-Mun Song’s injury. France, a San Diego State alum, previously hit .251/.313/.423 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in parts of two seasons with the Padres before being traded to the Mariners in 2020.
France’s starting role over Nick Castellanos is likely influenced by his past success against left-hander Framber Valdez, boasting more experience and better results in their matchups.
On the mound, the Tigers will send Framber Valdez, who posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA last season. Though he didn’t receive Cy Young votes last year, Valdez has been a contender in four of the past five seasons and recently signed a lucrative three-year, $115 million deal with Detroit. He’s yet to secure a win against the Padres in four starts, despite a respectable 3.13 ERA over 23 innings.
Here's how Valdez matches up against some of the Padres' hitters:
- Xander Bogaerts: .364 AVG, .917 OPS in 11 ABs
- Nick Castellanos: .100 AVG, .200 OPS in 10 ABs
- Jake Cronenworth: .000 AVG in 8 ABs
- Freddy Fermin: .125 AVG, .347 OPS in 8 ABs
- Ty France: .280 AVG, .637 OPS in 25 ABs
- Ramón Laureano: .250 AVG, .668 OPS in 20 ABs
- Manny Machado: .250 AVG, 1 HR, 1.080 OPS in 8 ABs
- Jackson Merrill: .667 AVG, 1.667 OPS in 3 ABs
- Gavin Sheets: .500 AVG, 1.000 OPS in 2 ABs
- Fernando Tatis Jr.: .222 AVG, .808 OPS in 9 ABs
For the Padres, Michael King takes the mound, hoping to bounce back after an injury-marred 2025. Re-signing with the team, King’s contract could be worth $75 million over three years, with an opt-out after the first year. His spring was rocky, allowing nine home runs in 17⅔ innings, but he has shown potential, as evidenced by his solid outing against the Tigers in 2023.
This matchup promises to be an intriguing one as both teams look to capitalize on their strategic adjustments and start the season strong.