While many national baseball writers craft trades involving various Padres dealt to teams they see as playoff contenders, the National League wild-card race has turned back in the Padres’ favor.

A 5-5 road trip that ended with a sweep of Miami has enabled San Diego to gain ground on multiple teams ahead of it. And a six-game homestand that starts Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies appears to offer a chance to move further into the playoff picture.

The Padres are just two games behind Arizona, which holds the final NL wild-card spot, with seven games left against the Diamondbacks. They also have chances to overtake the likes of Pittsburgh and Washington, who they host in late-season series.

An offense that was the worst in baseball during the first half of the season seems to have found its best form. San Diego averaged 6.3 runs per game on its road trip as stars like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill finally, well, starred.

“If we keep playing like this,” said second baseman Jake Cronenworth, “we’re going to put ourselves in a position to make A.J. help this team.”

That would be general manager A.J. Preller, who rarely hesitates to make multiple blockbuster trades when just one would suffice. His history shows it would take a lot for the Padres to become sellers, even if the logic suggests it’s the right move.

They will try to get over the .500 mark Tuesday night behind Michael King (6-7, 3.24 ERA). He last pitched Wednesday night in Atlanta, allowing one run on five hits and four walks in six innings of the team’s 7-6 loss while fanning seven. King is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in four career outings against Colorado.

The Rockies counter with Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.53). He last worked on July 21 in his team’s 8-7 win over Washington, allowing seven hits and six runs over 3 2/3 innings with a walk and five strikeouts. Lorenzen is 1-3 with a 5.59 ERA in 17 career appearances (four starts) against San Diego.

While the Padres seek their third straight postseason appearance, Colorado is in seller’s mode. An 11-2 loss Sunday in Milwaukee dropped it 23 games under .500. While they will improve greatly over last year’s 119 losses, the Rockies might still reach 100 defeats.

The snapshot of this year’s team is familiar to Colorado fans. The Rockies boast a top-10 offense in average, on-base percentage, runs, and slugging percentage, but can’t get anyone out. They rank last in the majors in ERA (5.55) and opponents’ batting average (.289).

Colorado figures to flip assets into prospect capital while giving younger players like Cole Carrigg plenty of playing time the rest of the season. The center fielder has hit .287 with five homers and 26 RBI in 39 games since being called up, including a homer off a 101.9 mph fastball Sunday against Jacob Misiorowski.

“Just trying to be as short as I could, trying to get something over the plate,” Carrigg said.

“Honestly, we were scratching, clawing, trying to get to him in any way, shape or form,” said Carrigg. “Obviously, he throws real hard — great pitcher — but personally, I was just trying to be as short as I could, trying to get something over the plate.”

San Diego is 6-1 this year against Colorado, including a four-game sweep from April 9-12 at Petco Park.

–Field Level Media

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will continue his playing career in Texas after signing with USL Championship expansion club Atletico Dallas.

The 38-year-old Mexican striker agreed to a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season. Hernandez becomes the first player signed by Atletico Dallas, which will begin play in 2027 under head coach Peter Luccin.

The agreement is subject to approval from the league and federation.

“I didn’t come here simply to finish my career,” Hernandez said. “I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”

Atletico Dallas will play its home matches at the Cotton Bowl while competing in the USL Championship, a second-tier professional soccer league in the United States below MLS.

Hernandez has not played competitively since appearing for Chivas in November 2025. He became a free agent after scoring three goals across all competitions during his final season with the Mexican club.

The move extends a career that has also included stops with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“I’ve been fortunate to live the dreams that every young footballer hopes to experience,” Hernandez said. “I’ve worn some of the biggest shirts in the world and played in incredible stadiums in front of passionate supporters. Opportunities like this, though, are different.”

Hernandez scored 52 goals in 109 appearances for Mexico, making him the national team’s all-time leading scorer. He last played internationally in 2019 and worked as a television analyst during the 2026 World Cup.

His addition gives Atletico Dallas an established name around which to begin building their inaugural roster. Luccin, a former Atletico Madrid midfielder, was appointed as the club’s first coach in February.

Dallas will be the eighth club of Hernandez’s senior career and marks his return to American soccer after playing for the Galaxy from 2020-23.

–Field Level Media

The Travelers Championship, the PGA Tour’s annual stop outside Hartford, Conn., is the first tournament to be formally named to the tour’s upcoming Championship Series.

In 2028 the tour is introducing a two-tiered schedule, with paths called the Championship Series and the Challenger Series. The Championship Series will be reserved for the sport’s top players and feature up to 24 events.

Those 24 include The Players Championship and the four majors, though those aren’t operated by the PGA Tour and have their own criteria for qualifying.

As the series is an evolution of the current set of “signature events,” it was expected that the most prestigious events on the calendar would be selected for the Championship Series.

The Travelers has been a signature event every year since the format was introduced in 2023. The PGA Tour has been coming to Hartford since 1952 and to TPC River Highlands since 1984.

“This partnership with Travelers and with the PGA Tour has taken the tournament to incredible new heights,” Travelers tournament director Nathan Grube said in a release. “We’re proud of the Travelers Championship, the economic impact it makes on our community and the state of Connecticut, and the hundreds of local charities that continue to benefit financially.”

–Field Level Media