Padres pregame: Robinson Cano starting as Manny Machado gets first full day off

Manny Machado is out of the lineup entirely for the first time this season as Robinson Cano receives his first start in a Padres uniform in Sunday’s 8:35 a.m. start at Truist Park.

The Padres signed the 39-year-old Cano to a major league deal on Friday, a little more than a week after he was released by the Mets with nearly $40 million still owed to the eight-time All-Star.

Cano was hitting .195/.233/.268 with one homer, three RBIs and 11 strikeouts against two walks over his first 11 games.

The Padres view Cano as a veteran presence and largely a left-handed bat off the bench who will receive occasional starts in the field.

And his first appearance in a Padres uniform will be a start at second base and in the seven-hole as the Padres make several changes to the lineup to fit him.

Most notably is Machado receiving his first full day off, which Padres manager Bob Melvin hinted at over the homestand before his surgery.

To date, Machado had received three “half days” off as the designated hitter while starting each game of the season. He was 0-for-8 through the first two games in Atlanta, dropping his batting average from an MLB-best .383 to .359, second behind teammate Eric Hosmer at .364.

Machado still leads the majors with 46 hits and leads the NL with a .439 on-base percentage, a 1.025 OPS and a 203 OPS+.

With Machado on the bench, Ha-seong Kim will slide to third base and Jake Cronenworth, now the only Padre to start each game this season, will start his first game at shortstop.

Cronenworth started three games at shortstop as a rookie in 2020 and 36 games last year during Fernando Tatis Jr.’s absences.

As for the Braves, they remain without Ronald Acuna Jr. (groin), meaning the Padres will have played an entire seven-game season series without facing their superstar once as the 24-year-old outfielder had not yet returned from last year’s season-ending knee injury during last month’s four-game set at Petco Park.

The Padres and Braves have split the first six games this year.

Sunday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (4-0, 2.08 ERA)

The Padres have won all six of Musgrove’s starts, including the 6 2/3 shutout innings he threw at Atlanta on April 14. Musgrove struck out six, didn’t walk anyone and scattered four hits in the victory. To date, he has struck out 41 batters against three walks.

Here is how the Braves’ lineup fared last month against Musgrove:

(Baseball-reference.com)

Braves RHP Kyle Wright (3-2, 3.03 ERA)

The fifth-year pitcher struck out nine Padres while allowing two runs on five hits and no walks over five innings in a no-decision on April 15. Wright allowed a season-high six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing this year, in his last start at home against Boston on Tuesday.

Among the Padres with history with Wright, Jorge Alfaro has presented the biggest challenge with two homers and five hits in six plate appearances, but Alfaro is not in Sunday’s starting lineup:

The Braves’ Kyle Wright vs. current Padres

(Baseball-reference.com)