Former rivals bolster Padres playoff roster ahead of NL Wild Card Series vs. Braves

The San Diego Padres are set to begin their pursuit of the National League pennant with a matchup against the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series. Petco Park will be packed to the to brim on Tuesday night when the Friars take the field, and in a surprising decision by manager Mike Shildt, Michael King will be getting the ball in Game 1.

The Padres released their full 26-man roster ahead of Tuesday's contest, and it looks about how most of the Friar faithful assumed it would. Unfortunately, that means that Gold Glove shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will not be part of the postseason festivities. The Padres' infielder suffered a shoulder injury in mid-August that required surgery.

Elias Diaz and Nick Ahmed are making their playoff debuts with the Padres

But the Friars will have a pair of veterans who'll be making their postseason debuts this week in catcher Elias Diaz and shortstop Nick Ahmed. Diaz was the longtime catcher of the Colorado Rockies, while Ahmed's career was spent mostly with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both players are expected to serve bench roles in the NL Wild Card Series against the Braves.

In addition to Diaz behind the plate, the Padres roster features catcher Kyle Higashioka. Lining up on the infield along with Ahmed will be Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arráez, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Tyler Wade, and Donovan Solano. Shifting to the outfield, Shildt will have the quintet of Jackson Merrill, Brandon Lockridge, Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Switching over to the pitching staff, the trio of King, Joe Musgrove, and Dylan Cease will comprise San Diego's starting rotation. Yu Darvish will be in the bullpen alonside, Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Yuki Matsui, Tanner Scott, Adrian Morejon, and Bryan Hoeing.

Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series between the Padres and Braves begins at 5:38 p.m. PT. The Friar faithful will surely be in full-throat when the gold-and-brown take the field tonight in search of their first playoff win since 2022.

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