Padres Turn to Cease on Short Rest amid Playoff Tensions

The San Diego Padres are making strategic adjustments during their playoff series as pitcher Dylan Cease prepares to take the mound with just three days of rest for the first time in his professional career. This decision follows Cease’s performance on Saturday, in which he allowed five runs over 3⅓ innings, throwing 82 pitches.

The manager of the Padres, Mike Shildt, expressed confidence in Cease’s ability to take on this challenge. “We’ll see how many bullets he’s got,” Shildt commented. “Had his head around it and discussed it with him and he was enthusiastic about it.”

In contrast, the Los Angeles Dodgers have opted for a bullpen game after starting pitcher Walker Buehler completed five innings in Game 3. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mentioned, “I see one of our relievers starting,” without revealing any further details. The Dodgers’ bullpen remains relatively fresh, with key relievers having not been used since their recent 7-5 victory in a game initially started by Cease.

On the Padres’ side, their bullpen showed effectiveness in the previous game. Michael King pitched five innings, leaving the remaining innings to a collective effort from Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Tanner Scott, and Robert Suarez. Shildt praised his relievers, noting their efficiency, especially highlighting Suarez who secured a four-out save.

Another notable development for the Padres is the absence of Ha-Seong Kim for the remainder of the postseason due to shoulder surgery. With Kim joining forces with sports agent Scott Boras, the likelihood of exercising an $8 million mutual option for 2024 has decreased. Consequently, the Padres are exploring options for the shortstop position for the 2025 season. In-house candidates include Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill, each having experience playing on the left side of the infield.

Jackson Merrill, who has been seen practicing at shortstop despite not currently holding that position, stated, “I just take them there now for fun, just keep my hands kind of smooth and keep my footwork kind of good.” Merrill has expressed readiness to adapt should the team require his services at shortstop.

Additionally, the Dodgers’ acquisition of utilityman Tommy Edman in a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox has added depth to their roster. Edman, previously with the St. Louis Cardinals and a La Jolla native, expressed a mix of professional competitiveness and personal connection to the Padres. “I’ve got a lot of friends who are still Padres fans,” Edman remarked with a laugh, adding his hopes of victory over his hometown’s team.