Padres pregame: Luis Campusano joining taxi squad, Kyle Hart optioned

Luis Campusano has a locker at Petco Park and is joining the taxi squad as Freddy Fermin will start Sunday’s 12:10 p.m. start in the Padres’ regular season finale on Padres.TV.

Elias Díaz exited Saturday’s game after feeling left oblique discomfort during a swing. That forced Fermin into the game and — depending on the severity of Díaz’s injury — leaves the Padres’ thin at the position for at least Game 162, if not the playoffs.

Which is why it appears Campusano will at least be along for the ride.

Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star on Saturday alongside switch-hitting outfielder Yonathan Perlaza, Campusano hit .336/.441/.595 with 25 homers and 95 RBIS in 105 games at Triple-A El Paso.

He was 0-for-21 across parts of 10 games in the majors, which at one point included one plate appearance between June 1 and June 13. Campusano did not catch a single pitch this year for the big-league team.

The Padres also re-signed Martín Maldonado to a minor league deal after he was DFA’d. He’d reportedly been staying ready at the Padres’ minor league complex in Arizona. Activating him would have required a 40-man roster move, but Jason Adam (quad) could easily be shifted from the 15- to the 60-day injured list.

The transaction that the Padres did make before Sunday’s game was optioning left-hander Kyle Hart to the Arizona Complex League to make room for left-hander JP Sears to make Sunday’s start.

That means Hart has been ruled out for the wild-card series, likely leaving left-hander Yuki Matsui and right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez in line for bullpen spots.

Game 162. pic.twitter.com/FL2RepFDhY

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 28, 2025

The only regular not in Sunday’s lineup is Luis Arraez, as Jake Cronenworth will serve as the DH, Jose Iglesias will get the start at second base and Ryan O’Hearn will man first base and bat second.

Here is how the Diamondbacks will line up for Game 162:

162/162 https://t.co/k9Xjx1ui6d pic.twitter.com/W7jzzMPWlT

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 28, 2025

Sunday’s pitching matchup

D-backs RHP Brandon Pfaadt (13-8, 5.00 ERA)

The third-year starter has a 5.04 ERA in 450⅓ innings so far in the majors and has allowed 25 homers in 172⅔ innings this year. Pfaadt threw a one-hit shutout on Sept. 17 and followed it up with six innings of three-run ball in Tuesday’s start against the Giants. Pfaadt has a 3.23 ERA in eight career starts against the Padres and has won both starts this year against the Padres (2.63 ERA).

Here is how Pfaadt has fared against current Padres:

Padres LHP JP Sears (8-11, 5.12 ERA)

He’s grabbing the final start of the regular season, which will allow RHP Randy Vásquez (6-7, 3.73 ERA) to pitch out of the bullpen one time ahead of potentially pitching in that role in the postseason. Sears has a 6.16 ERA in four starts since the trade from Sacramento. That includes allowing five runs on 10 hits and a walk in five innings in his Padres debut in August.

Here is how Sears has fared against current D-backs: