Padres place Nestor Cortes on the 15-day IL with left bicep tendinitis, casting doubt on the rotation as they push to rebound. Randy Vásquez is called up to start Saturday against Colorado, while Sean Reynolds is optioned to El Paso. San Diego has struggled mightily, going 2-8 in their last 10 while posting a 5.40 team ERA in that stretch. The club trails the Dodgers by two in the NL West, who themselves dropped a game to Baltimore, keeping the gap firm. The Padres finish the Rockies series and then host L.A. next Thursday as Vásquez incubates a hopeful spark for the rotation.

In this high-stakes sprint, every turn of the rotation matters for fantasy contending lineups. Cortes’ injury adds risk to a Padres team that must navigate late-season form and pitching depth. Vasquez’s spot start is a critical test for the club’s internal options as they chase wins to trim the Dodgers’ lead and salvage a once-promising year.

Baltimore jumped San Diego with a six-run third, led by Colton Cowser’s 420-foot three-run homer, Coby Mayo’s 401-foot shot, and Alex Jackson’s 406-foot blast. Jackson Holliday had opened the scoring with a leadoff homer as the Orioles rolled to a 7-0 lead after Cortés Jr. exited. Cortés, who began the year with Milwaukee before a July 31 deal to SD, surrendered three homers in an inning, his third this season. Mountcastle added another run, capping a power-filled night for Baltimore.

Buxton sparked Minnesota’s win with a daring third-base attempt, slashing into the Twins’ 20/20 club by notching his 20th steal of the season in a year where health has limited his ceiling. The 7-4 victory over the Padres at Target Field air-dropped a renewed sense of 30/30 potential, as Buxton now needs three more homers and nine steals. Trevor Larnach supplied three hits in support, while Pablo López nears a return from a teres major strain rehab, and Minnesota contends with a crowded six-man rotation, including Taj Bradley set to start next, with a note on López’s planned five-inning rehab outing and the quirky motivation of his dog Bosco.

The win featured a Padres miscue that underscored Minnesota’s late-inning surge, and Zebby Matthews worked into the seventh to seal it. The club balanced health, depth, and a path back to full strength as López advances his return plan and the staff trims the rotation to accommodate a critical late-season push.