A day after needing four relievers for a bullpen game that replaced Michael King’s scheduled start, the Padres are recalling left-hander Omar Cruz from Triple-A El Paso ahead of Sunday’s series finale in Atlanta.
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV.
Cruz will replace right-hander Alek Jacob, who allowed four runs over 1⅔ innings as the third reliever into a game that began with right-hander Sean Reynolds throwing a career-high 57 pitches over 2 ⅔ innings (3 ER). Left-hander Wandy Peralta followed with two shutout innings and left-hander Yuki Matsui closed the game with five outs without allowing a run.
Jacob has a 6.94 ERA on a season that began with him making his first opening day roster. He had a 1.80 ERA through the first month of the season only to allow 15 earned runs over 8 ⅓ innings in May (16.20 ERA).
The 26-year-old Cruz had a 4.91 ERA over 3⅔ innings earlier this season in the majors and 3.20 ERA over 19⅔ innings at Triple-A El Paso, where four of his last five appearance had come at the start of games to make sure he remained a length option.
Cruz last pitched on April 20, striking out three over four shutout innings against Tacoma. He walked two and allowed two hits.
The Padres (28-22) have lost seven of 10 to fall three games out in the NL West. They have, however, won five of six games so far against the Braves and will look to end a losing road trip on a positive note.
A day after replacing the injured Jason Heyward on the active roster, Luis Campusano will get the start at designated hitter, pushing Gavin Sheets into left field for just the third time this season.
Closing out the road trip. pic.twitter.com/qHHDJsMdFB
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 25, 2025
Campusano is 0-for-6 with five walks so far in the majors this year, but he led the Padres’ farm system with 10 homers and was hitting .313/.432/.611 in 37 games at Triple-A El Paso.
Sheets (.820 OPS) is second on the team with nine homers and tops with 29 RBIs. He’ll bat fifth, between center fielder Jackson Merrill (.912 OPS) and shortstop Xander Bogaerts (.657 OPS).
Here is how the Braves (25-26, 3rd in NL East) will line up for the series finale:
Sunday series finale!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/PtEJqTULsr
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 25, 2025
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (1-3, 4.50 ERA)
He’s strung together three straight quality starts (2.66 ERA) for the first time this season, striking out 25 against four walks over 20⅓ innings. He’s also allowed four home runs that have had a lot to do with a slumping team losing two of those three games. The Georgia native allowed three runs in 4⅓ innings to the Braves in San Diego in March. He has a 4.19 ERA in four career starts against the Braves and a 6.00 ERA in two starts at Truist Park.
Here is how Cease has fared against current Braves:
Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (3-3, 3.52 ERA)
He’s gone at least six innings in three straight starts (2.70 ERA) and has been better at home (2.63 ERA) than on the road (4.94 ERA). Schwellenbach has allowed just one run in 13 innings across two starts against the Padres, including six shutout innings at Petco Park in March.
No current Padre has more than one hit off Schwellenbach:
