Padres Lineup vs Tigers: Nick Castellanos Starting, New Leadoff Hitter

The San Diego Padres look to avoid being swept by the Detroit Tigers in their first series of the 2026 season.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 8:48pm

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The San Diego Padres will face the Detroit Tigers for the third game of their opening series on Saturday, March 28. Right-handed pitcher Randy Vásquez will take the mound for the Padres against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. The Padres' lineup features some changes, including Jake Cronenworth leading off and Nick Castellanos making his first start of the season as the designated hitter.

Why it matters

The Padres are looking to bounce back after losing the first two games of the series against the Tigers. A win would help them avoid being swept in their opening series and provide a much-needed confidence boost for the team.

The details

The Padres' lineup for Saturday's game includes Jake Cronenworth leading off, followed by Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Gavin Sheets, Ramón Laureano, Nick Castellanos as the designated hitter, and Freddy Fermin catching. Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, who had a strong 2026 season, will face off against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty, who had an uneven 2026 campaign.

  • The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, with first pitch at 5:40 p.m. PT/6:40 p.m. ET.
  • The Padres lost the first two games of the series, 8-2 on Opening Day and 5-2 on Friday night.

The players

Randy Vásquez

A right-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres who had a strong 2026 season, pitching 133.2 innings with a 3.84 ERA.

Jack Flaherty

A right-handed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who had an uneven 2026 season, making 31 starts and pitching 161 innings with a 4.64 ERA and 188 strikeouts.

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What’s next

The Padres will look to avoid being swept by the Tigers in their first series of the 2026 season. A win on Saturday would provide a much-needed confidence boost for the team as they look to bounce back from the first two losses.

The takeaway

The Padres' lineup changes, including a new leadoff hitter and the addition of Nick Castellanos as the designated hitter, demonstrate the team's efforts to find the right combination to get their offense going and avoid being swept in their opening series against the Tigers.