San Diego Padres probable pitchers and starting lineup vs. Atlanta Braves, April 17

On Monday night at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves kick off a three-game series. It's a battle of two teams with plenty of postseason aspirations in 2023.

Padres vs. Braves probable starting pitchers

In the opening game of the three-game set, Max Fried is expected to make his return from the injured list and take the mound for the Braves. Fried lasted 3.1 innings in his Opening Day start against the Washington Nationals before leaving with a hamstring strain that would place him on the 15-day injured list. This will be the first action since that injury for the Atlanta southpaw, who allowed four hits and one run in his 43-pitch debut.

On the San Diego side of the equation, Ryan Weathers will be called upon for his third start of the season. Weathers has performed admirably when filling in as part of the Padres rotation, logging a 2.70 ERA over his first 10.0 innings of the season, with five-inning starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets.

San Diego Padres starting lineup vs. Atlanta Braves

Which San Diego Padres players needs to bounce back in tonight's game?

Manny Machado is riding a four-game hitting streak coming into Monday's tilt, but is just 1-for-10 lifetime against Fried. That is a matchup that Padres fans should be watching early.

Overall, Juan Soto is 0-for-12 over the last four games, and Padres fans are just waiting for him to got on a hot streak. Perhaps that will begin against Fried as Soto owns a career .364/.482/.409 slash line against him (8-for-22 with five walks).

How do I watch the San Diego Padres game?

The Padres-Braves game will be televised on Bally Sports San Diego as well as the MLB Network. Fans can also watch the game (out of market) through a subscription to MLB.tv.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. (Pacific time)