Padres pregame: Fernando Tatis Jr. returns, will start; Will Wagner replaces Ramón Laureano

Fernando Tatis Jr. walked through the clubhouse doors on Friday for the first time this homestand. It was not a surprise to Padres manager Mike Shildt. The team has not disclosed what precisely Tatis was dealing with, but Shildt remained in consistent contact with his right fielder.

He knew on Thursday that Tatis would be in the lineup to start the final home series of the regular season.

“(Felt) good putting that name in the top of the lineup (Thursday),” Shildt said. “Texted with him and every day just gradually better and yesterday really felt almost back to normal. And he said he’s more than ready and excited to get back in the lineup.”

Tatis did not speak with media after dressing, electing instead to check in with the training staff and then get back to preparing for his first game since hitting his 23rd homer of the season on Sunday in Chicago.

That included early hitting and outfield drills ahead of the team’s optional on-field batting practice.

A healthy Tatis was always critical heading into next week’s wild-card series, but especially so after losing Ramón Laureano on Wednesday to a fractured right index finger on a foul ball that Shildt on Friday likened to a hit by pitch.

Shildt did not re-address the prospect of Laureano returning after the wild-card round should the Padres advance, but did describe the severity of the break.

“One tough guy,” Shildt said. “His finger’s shattered. It’s like a spider web.”

To replace Laureano for the weekend, the Padres are recalling infielder Will Wagner back from the Arizona Complex League. They are facing a right-hander on Friday in Zac Gallen, but Shildt indicated that the left-handed-hitting Gavin Sheets, Ryan O’Hearn and Jake Cronenworth — the sixth through eighth spots on Friday — will be in consideration when the Padres line up against the Cubs lefties next week. Two of Chicago’s top starting pitchers, Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, are lefties.

¡Feliz viernes de City Connect! pic.twitter.com/6AU1MtjJqM

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 26, 2025

The right-handed Jose Iglesias could find his way into the plans, Shildt said.

“I do think that we’re going to continue as the research takes place and we pay attention to matchups, there’s an opportunity there,” Shildt said. “I don’t know about starting again. It’s the cart before the horse, but Jose Iglesias has taken some good at-bats for this team and some big at-bats. So yeah, it’s a lane that is likely to take place. I can’t say for sure, but it’s also, you have to explore the matchups individually with those lefties against our lefties, in the moment what we need (and) what the game calls for.”

With Tatis in right field on Friday, Sheets will play left field, O’Hearn will serve as the DH and Luis Arraez will play first base.

The Cubs won Friday’s matinee against the Cardinals, 12-1. One more Cubs win or Padres loss will clinch Wrigley Field as the venue for next week’s best-of-three wild-card series.

Here is how the Diamondbacks will line up for Game 1 of the weekend as they look to extend their hopes for the No. 6 seed:

One game at a time. https://t.co/k9Xjx1ui6d pic.twitter.com/OwDPaaWZft

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 26, 2025

Friday’s pitching matchup

D-backs RHP Zac Gallen (13-14, 4.70 ERA)

His ERA is the worst of his career and well above his career ERA (3.55). He has also allowed a career-high 30 homers and walked more batters (63) than ever. Gallen also has a 2.82 ERA in 10 starts since the start of August. Gallen has a 3.12 ERA in 14 career starts against the Padres and a 2.92 ERA in two starts against them this year.

Here is how Gallen has fared against current Padres:

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (4-5, 5.51 ERA)

The 39-year-old veteran has a 5.79 ERA in five starts since his last quality start. Darvish has a 5.87 ERA in two starts (7⅔ IP) this year against the Diamondbacks. He has a 4.00 ERA in seven starts at home and a 7.26 ERA in seven starts on the road.

Here is how Darvish has fared in his career against current D-backs: