Padres pregame: Pierce Johnson opens bullpen game vs. Dodgers

As the Dodgers arrive for a three-game set at Petco Park, the sinking Padres are lining themselves up for their sixth bullpen game of the month.

They are at least turning to a new arm for their opener: right-hander Pierce Johnson.

It will be the first start of a big-league career that has really taken off since Johnson signed with the Padres before the 2020 season.

The 30-year-old Johnson had a 5.44 career ERA after leaving for Japan following the 2018 season. He has a 2.56 ERA over 63 1/3 innings the last two seasons, which includes striking out a career-best 12.5 batters per nine innings and allowing a 1.18 WHIP this season (3-2, 2.49 ERA).

He has a 3.14 ERA over 14 1/3 career innings against the Dodgers, but has allowed a .324/.452/.529 batting line to current Dodgers:

The Padres’ Pierce Johnson vs. current Dodgers

(Baseball-reference.com)

The Padres also made one move to fortify the relief corps: left-hander Daniel Camarena is up and right-hander Miguel Diaz has been optioned to Triple-A El Paso.

With 36 games left, an off-day on Monday and the Padres now trailing the Reds in the race for the NL’s second wild-card spot, there are no surprises in Tuesday’s lineup against Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias (13-3, 3.29 ERA) as he returns from a calf injury.

Tommy Pham is leading off in place of Trent Grisham, who is on the bench as Fernando Tatis Jr. makes his second start in center field. That leaves Wil Myers in right field and in the seven-hole ahead of Ha-seong Kim starting at second base and batting eighth.

Kim is starting for just the fourth time this month (.760 OPS over 26 plate appearances) in place of the left-handed-hitting Adam Frazier, who is hitting a very light .241/.283/.287 since he was acquired from the Pirates.

The 25-year-old Urias allowed six runs on six hits and four walks in four innings in a loss to the Padres at Petco Park in June and has a 3.86 ERA over 25 2/3 career innings against the Padres. Here is how he’s fared against hitters on their active roster:

The Dodgers’ Julio Urias vs. current Padres

(Baseball-reference.com)

Here is how the Dodgers, who are still without Mookie Betts (hip), will line up for Tuesday’s opener: