Fernando Tatis Jr. did not come roaring out of his first day off in nearly two months.
Maybe the Dodgers will jolt his bat back to life.
It’s certainly had that effect so far in his career.
Tatis has hit 19 of his 140 career homers against the Dodgers, more than every other team except the Diamondbacks (20). He will serve as the leadoff hitter and right fielder for Monday’s 6:40 p.m. start (Padres.TV) as he looks to use a rival to get his season back on track in the first series of the year against the Dodgers.
Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/jlnyHt2FDa
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 9, 2025
Tatis is hitting .259/.332/.461 with 13 homers on the season, but he’s hitting .185/.254/.338 in 32 games since taking a pitch off his forearm in Pittsburgh on May 3, although he does have five homers over that stretch.
Tatis is also hitless in his last three games (0-for-12), going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout on Sunday after sitting out Saturday’s game, a first since missing a game in April due to shoulder discomfort.
Again, maybe the Dodgers can spark something.
Tatis is a .264/.326/.544 hitter in 61 regular-season games against the Dodgers and hit .350/.447/.625 last year, a precursor to hitting three home runs in five games in the NLDS (.350/.409/.950) against the Dodgers
Then again, Tatis went 0-for-4 in the finale as the Padres’ crumbled under the weight of 24 straight scoreless innings to end the NLDS.
After a fast start, this year’s offense is again struggling to score runs. In June alone, the Padres are averaging 2.9 runs per game, their hitters have a .605 OPS and Manny Machado owns all four of the home runs they’ve hit in their last eight games.
Machado is at third base and in the three-hole, where he’s been for every game this season.
Luis Arraez is back at first base for the first time since exiting the series finale in San Francisco with discomfort in the back of his knee. He served as the DH in all three games in Milwaukee, but that spot will go to Gavin Sheets on Monday as Tyler Wade will bounce out to left field.
Here is how the Dodgers will line up for Game 1:
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup at Padres: pic.twitter.com/qNYCMLkzdL
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 9, 2025
Monday’s pitching matchup
Dodgers RHP Dustin May (3-4, 4.09 ERA)
He lost all of last year to injuries and has thrown just 253⅓ innings in parts of six years in the majors due to various injuries. May has a 3.18 ERA over his last three starts, striking out 22 against five walks over 17 innings. May has a 3.36 ERA in 59 career innings against the Padres (12 games, 9 starts), striking out 52 and fashioning a 1.00 WHIP, but he has not faced them since 2023 (12⅔ IP, 2 ER).
Here is how May has fared against current Padres in the regular 
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (6-2, 3.16 ERA)
He’s strung together four straight quality starts (3.38 ERA), striking out 27 against five walks over 24 innings, although the Padres are 2-2 in those games. Pivetta has been at his best at Petco Park, posting a 1.69 ERA in six starts (37⅓ IP). He is 1-2 with a 2.96 ERA in 27⅓ IP (6 starts, 5 games) against the Dodgers, including eight strikeouts over six shutout innings in a no-decision last year while with the Red Sox.
Here is how Pivetta has fared against current Dodgers:
