CRAIG’S COMMENTS: Making waves with Spring opening lineup; discussing Yuki Matsui injury, Nick Castellanos at first base, Jagger Haynes

Photo of Xander Bogaerts at-bat during the Padres’ first game of Spring

Craig Stammen penned his first lineup as the Padres’ manager Friday and raised some eyebrows even with it being the opening game of the spring training exhibition season. Xander Bogaerts led off with Jackson Merrill batting second followed by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the cleanup spot. Nick Castellanos was at first base.

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And Stammen admitted it might not be too early to take a deeper look into the order:

“It’s time to roll those guys out there,” said Stammen. “It will be a lot of fun. You’re always experimenting. The main thing is, we have to get Xander, Manny and Tatis ready for the World Baseball Classic. So, they’re at the top of the order.”

Stammen, however, plans to take a longer look at the top four how they were aligned Friday. He discussed Bogaerts, Jackson and Tatis in the, respective, 1, 2 and 4 slots:

Stammen on what Bogaerts could bring to the leadoff spot: “Xander is on track to be in the Hall of Fame,” Stammen began. “Whenever you can put a possible future Hall of Famer at the top of the lineup, that’s a good thing. Like we saw last year, he brought some speed to the table. But I think I’m more excited about the bat he showed during the playoffs in that he could be a guy that we really want at the top of the order who will set the tone and give the pitcher something he has to be prepared for.”

Stammen on Jackson near the top of the order, batting between right-handed hitters:

Photo of Jackson Merrill warming up before today’s Spring Training game

“I do like the concept of what that could be,” said the manager. “I like him at the top. He’s just an energy giver. He takes at-bats. He prepares the right way. I think getting him to hit in the first inning is a good thing for our team. We’ll see how it works going through spring and we’ll see if that’s what we want to roll out to begin the season. And when I say top of the lineup, I mean the top three so he’ll be hitting in the first inning.”

Stammen on moving Tatis from first in the order (where he hit in 2025) to maybe fourth:

“I have some reasons why I want him batting behind Manny,” Stammen began. “Just talking with Tatis personally, leading off might not have been something he felt he was the best at. But he knew that was the best for the team in the past. Will he lead off at some point during the season? Maybe. That might happen. Right now, we’re going to try something different and see how it looks.”

Stammen on Nick Castellanos starting the first spring game at first base, a position he hadn’t played in the past:

“Yes, throw him right in the fire a little bit,” said Stammen. “He wants it. He’s excited about it. He knows he’s competing for a spot on the team. So, we’ll give those guys every opportunity we can to make the team and show us what they’ve got.”

Reliever Yuki Matsui suffered groin tightness Wednesday while throwing a bullpen, placing his spot on the Team Japan WBC roster in jeopardy:

“He is doing alright,” Stammen said of Matsui. “He is day-to-day. He threw his live batting practice yesterday and had a little tightness in his groin. He stopped it early. He was smart about that. It seems like it has gotten better today. Possibly he’ll play catch tomorrow. Yuki’s schedule will be changed. We’ll see how he comes out of this day off and how he feels tomorrow and then what his schedule looks like going forward.

“Obviously, I think it puts the WBC in question. At the moment, Yuki has to make that decision on joining Team Japan for the WBC. He’s got to talk with the coaches and the general manager and see if that is still an option. It’s going to be a tough road for him to get healthy enough to pitch in the WBC. We’ve had internal conversations about it. Ultimately, it’s up to him. We can’t call Team Japan and say you can’t pitch him. Yuki has to make that decision and I think he’ll come away with a pretty good decision.”

Stammen on pitching prospect Jagger Haynes:

“I’ve seen a little bit of Jagger,” said Stammen. “I remember seeing him back when he was about 18 years old and 50 pounds lighter. Now he’s matured into a man. I got to see him pitch a lot the last few years through Single-A and Double-A last year. He’s made a ton of strides. He’s a much better pitcher, a much better person. He’s grown in all those areas. I’m excited for him to get an opportunity to pitch in a spring training big-league game and show us what he’s got.”