Padres Catcher Scratched From Lineup Before Saturday's Game

Valentina Martinez | Aug 31, 2024

Aug 21, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez (8) scores a run past San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka (20) during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to flu-like symptoms. Luis Campusano replaced Higashioka in the eighth spot of the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Higashioka has recorded a base hit in each of his last two games, including a home run on Wednesday. He helped the Padres with a game-tying homer in the eighth inning of their matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Higashioka's homer was his 16th bomb of the season. He currenty has a .788 OPS.

Unfortunately, the homer from Higashioka wasn't enough for San Diego as the team fell to St. Louis 3-4 on Wednesday.

Campusano will step in for Higashioka on Saturday as he battles an illness. Campusano has a .461 OPS through 12 games this month.

The Padres beat the Ray 13-5 on Friday night. The win at Tropicana Field was one of San Diego's best examples of what the offense is capable of.

“It was masterful,” Padres manager Mike Shildt told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “… It’s how the game is supposed to be played.”

The Padres entered the matchup with Tampa Bay coming off of two straight losses. That all changed on Friday when San Diego scored in each of the first four frames and scored three additional runs in the ninth inning.

“It was great for us coming here after two losses,” Jurickson Profar said. “We brought our energy today.”

The offensive outing was a reflection of best performances from the Padres throughout the 2024 season.

“Working good counts, working good at-bats, being aggressive on the bases,” Manny Machado said. “Today we played like we’ve been playing all year.”

When roster expansions take place on Sunday, Elías Diaz is expected to report to the team. Padres reliever Sean Reynolds was optioned Alek Jacob was recalled on Saturday.

Every game is important in the final month of the regular season for San Diego. The Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks remain five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West division race.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks continue their four-game series on Saturday. Los Angeles won the series opener 10-9 on Friday night, but with an overworked bullpen, the Snakes will likely make significant headway in shrinking the Dodgers' lead in the division.

It's imperative that the Padres play perfect baseball down the stretch, especially since Arizona will likely gain traction this weekend in the series against the Dodgers.