“They are just not playing good enough baseball” - Former MLB coach weighs in on Padres’ struggle and challenges behind the plate

The San Diego Padres are struggling to hold their ground in the 2024 season. The franchise has faced consecutive losses in its last few games and is now going 14-18.

Discussing their current situation on MLB Now, former major league coach and media analyst Ruben Amaro Jr. recently weighed in on the Padres' struggles.

“You start thinking about the Padres and their rotation and the players that they have at the top of their lineup," Amaro Jr. said (1:22). "I mean you talk about Bogaerts, Machado and Tatis, you are talking about three outstanding offensive players.

“And the rotation that they have, they got Darvish, they have Musgrove, they got Cease. You’ve got a chance to win. I know it’s a tough west but my goodness you don’t even give it a shot.”

In their most recent loss, the San Diego Padres suffered a 2-5 defeat against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at Petco Park. They only managed to score runs in the first and the last inning.

The team's offense completely shut down, managing just 4 hits in 31 at-bats, with 2 RBIs, 2 walks and 14 strikeouts. Talking about the reasons for the franchise's downward performance this season Ruben Amaro Jr. said (at 1:47):

“They are just not playing good enough baseball. There is something, there is a mix in there. I think it's a catchy situation for them. They do not have a leader behind the plate and that’s a real big issue for them.”

San Diego Padres' Yu Darvish to be activated from 15-day IL

Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, who was placed on the 15-day injured list due to neck tightness, will be activated on Tuesday, as reported by AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. He will take the mound against the Cincinnati Reds, facing off against Nick Martinez.

In the first five games of the season, Darvish hasn’t been in his top form. He has recorded an ERA of 4.18 and a WHIP of 1.27 with 22 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.

The five-time All-Star signed a six-year contract worth $108 million (as per Forbes) with the San Diego Padres and is currently in the second year of his deal.