The San Diego Padres are back in the playoffs and will head up north to face the Chicago Cubs for the Wild Card series. With Nick Pivetta slated to start Game 1, San Diego will look to begin the 2025 postseason off right with a win on Tuesday afternoon.
However, there is some uncertainty regarding the postseason roster. While Freddy Fermin is the starting catcher, the Padres might be without backup catcher Elias Diaz as he deals with an oblique strain.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that, if Diaz were to miss the Wild Card round, the Padres have an option ready to go. That player is a 39-year-old veteran who spent some time with the Padres earlier this season, before being released after 64 games in San Diego.
The Padres are expected to reunite with veteran journeyman catcher for the Wild Card series
"With Elias Diaz's status for tomorrow still unclear," Lin reports. "Martin Maldonado is expected to rejoin the Padres in Chicago as additional insurance."
With Elias Díaz’s status for tomorrow still unclear, Martín Maldonado is expected to rejoin the Padres in Chicago as additional insurance. Luis Campusano traveled with the team yesterday. Nick Pivetta has thrown all but one-third of an inning this season to Díaz.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) September 29, 2025
Maldonado spent time with the Padres this season, but was released with the addition of Freddy Fermin at the trade deadline. This move would be a troublesome one, as the Padres would likely have started Diaz in Game 1. While he could still go, if Diaz is out, it's a tough blow.
The reason why Diaz would get the start over Fermin is that Pivetta, on the mound for the Padres, has thrown all but one-third of an inning to Diaz. Maldonado and Fermin haven't caught Pivetta this season much, if at all.
Diaz can still be a part of the roster, but if he isn't ready by Tuesday, Maldonado will take his place. The 39-year-old catcher, in 64 games with the Padres, had a .204 batting average with a .572 OPS.
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He also wasn't a great catcher behind the plate, and while Diaz (.204 average with a .607 OPS in 106 games) hasn't been much better at the plate, he's helped Pivetta put together the best season of his big-league career.
Pivetta has a 2.87 ERA in 31 starts, and his best season before 2025 was all higher than 4.00 ERA. To force him to pitch to an unfamiliar catcher in the first game of the playoffs would be a tough task.
Losing Diaz for the Wild Card round would be a tough blow, and if he is out for the series, Maldonado, not Luis Campusano, will be the Padres' new backup catcher. Fermin will be getting most of the work, but Diaz is still a notable loss if he's ruled out.
More Padres News:
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- Padres reactivate Xander Bogaerts after delayed return from injury
- Brewers' Freddy Peralta makes history in start against Padres
- Mike Shildt back to playoffs: this time in walk-off fashion