Sports
Frustrating season for Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. continues as A's await
May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) kneels on second base after being forced out during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. collected two soft singles in a game earlier this week that San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen thought were as solid as gold.
“Two hits,” Stammen said. “I don’t care what it looks like. It’s going on the back of his (baseball) card as two hits.”
It’s been that kind of season for the veteran Tatis, 27, who will keep trying to get untracked Friday night when the Padres open a three-game home series with the Athletics.
After his two-hit game in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, Tatis followed with a 1-for-3 night in a 4-0 loss to Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers on Wednesday. Tatis hit into a rally-quashing double play that got Ohtani out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, and his hit was an infield single in the eighth.
In his seventh MLB season, Tatis — who won the 2021 National League home run title with 42 — is homerless after 48 games. Only six of his 43 hits have gone for extra bases, and just three of the balls he’s hit all year have traveled as far as 370 feet.
In 2025, Tatis had 12 home runs and 27 RBIs 48 games into the season and was batting .289. This season: 15 RBIs and a .239 average for the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger.
After Wednesday’s loss, Stammen said the coaching staff’s role is to nurse Tatis through a stunningly long skid.
“It’s up to us to talk to Fernando and be able to pat him on the back and try to teach patience to him to help him get through this struggle,” Stammen said. “Probably the biggest struggle that he’s had in his major league career at the plate.”
While Tatis aims to find the form that’s marked most of his MLB career, teammate Walker Buehler (3-2, 5.01 ERA) will shoot for his third win in a row. He’s coming off a 7-4 victory Saturday in Seattle, where he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings while striking out six.
Buehler will face the A’s for just the second time in his career. The right-hander threw four shutout innings in his only appearance against them six years ago, striking out six and yielding just one hit.
The Athletics will counter with left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-4, 3.93 ERA), who’s coming off a 10-1 loss Sunday to the San Francisco Giants in West Sacramento, Calif. Springs yielded five hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings, with a walk and three strikeouts.
In three career outings against San Diego, Springs is 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA, with the win occurring in April 2025 in West Sacramento.
While the Padres dropped two of three games at home to the Dodgers this week, the A’s made the bus ride down Interstate 5 from Anaheim after taking three of four from the Los Angeles Angels. That included a 3-2, 10-inning win in Thursday night’s series finale as Zack Gelof’s fielder’s choice grounder brought in the tie-breaking run.
It was the A’s 14th comeback win of the year. They have built a strong offense based primarily on young talent, ranking in the top 10 in batting average (.249), on-base percentage (.329) and slugging percentage (.397).
Manager Mark Kotsay said there’s more in the tank than the team has displayed through 50 games.
“We still have a lot of room for improvement, which is encouraging,” he said. “Especially on the offensive side.”
San Diego has won eight of the teams’ past nine meetings.
–Field Level Media
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards-Reds game ppd., to be made up as part of DH on Aug. 17
May 13, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of the tarp on the field as rain falls before the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The start of the game was delayed due to inclement weather. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Sunday’s scheduled series finale between the St. Louis Cardinals and Reds in Cincinnati was postponed due to inclement weather.
This game will be made up as part of a split-doubleheader on Aug. 17.
The series opener on Friday also was postponed due to inclement weather. The National League Central rivals played a doubleheader on Saturday as a result, with the Cardinals posting an 8-1 win in the first game before the Reds rebounded with a 7-6 victory in 11 innings.
The Cardinals have lost three of their last four games heading into Monday’s opener of a three-game series against the host Milwaukee Brewers.
The Reds, in turn, have won three of their last four games. They open a three-game series against the host New York Mets on Monday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
'Double' trouble: Katherine Legge crashes, exits Indy 500: 'I'm gutted'
HMD Motorsports driver Katherine Legge (11) during the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Katherine Legge swerved from her high-side position to avoid a collision with Ryan Hunter-Reay but her Indianapolis 500 and attempt for the “double” with a Sunday night entry in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 ended in a spinout.
Legge was uninjured in the incident and will travel to Charlotte to run in the NASCAR race. The British driver was making the sixth bid to complete both races on Memorial Day weekend before the 45-year-old ran into trouble in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon.
Her Indy 500 experience lasted just 18 laps.
Coming out of Turn 2, Ryan Hunter-Reay lost control of his Chevrolet and bounced off the wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As he tried to right himself, Legge said she couldn’t see much ahead of her because of smoke from Hunter-Reay’s car. When she finally saw the car, Legge had to take quick action to avoid him. After a sharp left turn, she wound up crashing into the infield fence, with her car sustaining significant damage.
Both drivers were out of the race and checked in the medical tent. No apparent injuries were sustained.
“He came back up the track, so last minute I had to go left. It just wasn’t enough time to avoid,” Legge said Sunday.
Legge was able to exit her No. 11 Chevrolet for HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing without assistance. Hunter-Reay was also uninjured.
“Desperately frustrating,” Legge said of her mindset Sunday afternoon. “To be taken out by something not in your control, it would be slightly better to be taken out by something in your control … we were looking forward to a long day, 1,100 miles.”
Legge had only a few hours to switch her gear, her car and her mindset entering the Coca-Cola 600.
“I need to have an attitude adjustment, because right now I’m pissed,” Legge said. “And disappointed. I need to get on that plane and try and get into the right mindset.”
The “double” calls for a driver to compete in two premiere races, covering 1,100 miles with barely a moment to spare between the Indy and NASCAR Cup Series races. Five drivers previously have attempted the double since John Andretti hatched the idea in 1994 for AJ Foyt Racing. Andretti finished 10th at Indy but was knocked out after 220 laps at Charlotte due to engine trouble.
“Very few drivers ever get the opportunity to attempt the ‘double,’ and I do not take that opportunity lightly,” Legge said last week. “This challenge is about pushing through perceived limits … and trying to do something unique.”
Tony Stewart in 2001 is the lone driver to finish on the lead lap of both races on the same day.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs place RHP Edward Cabrera on 15-day IL with finger blister
May 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) throws the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs placed right-hander Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
The move is retroactive to Thursday. Left-hander Jordan Wicks was called up from Triple-A Iowa to fill Cabrera’s roster spot for the Cubs, who entered Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros at 29-23 and in third place in the National League Central amid a seven-game losing streak.
Cabrera, 28, is 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA in 10 games (all starts) this season.
The Cubs also are without left-hander Matthew Boyd, who underwent left knee surgery on May 7. Boyd simulated multiple innings off the mound on Friday and is scheduled to face hitters this week in a live batting-practice session during a four-game series in Pittsburgh.
Chicago already has lost right-hander Cade Horton (elbow surgery) for the remainder of this season and might not have left-hander Justin Steele (left flexor strain) back until the second half.
Wicks went 0-1 with a 6.28 ERA in eight games for the Cubs last season and was 0-2 with a 4.44 ERA in seven Triple-A starts this season.
–Field Level Media
Cards-Reds game ppd., to be made up as part of DH on Aug. 17
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