San Diego, CA
Padres notebook: Talking Ty France, Walker Buehler and other upcoming roster decisions
PEORIA, Ariz. — A handful of roster decisions loom.
One of particular local interest could be determined late Friday night and will certainly be decided by Saturday morning.
Ty France, who played at San Diego State and began his career with the Padres, can opt out of his contract Saturday if he has not been assured he will be on the active roster at the start of the season.
That forces the Padres to choose, ostensibly, between France and Jose Miranda by Saturday. Both are corner infielders. Both have major league experience. Both have had excellent springs.
The difference may come down to the fact Miranda can be sent to the minor leagues without his consent.
The risk for the Padres is that adding France to the roster guarantees him $1.35 million. He could agree before the season that the Padres could option him at some point. But if he has another team willing to put him on its big-league roster, he would not have motivation to agree to such a stipulation.
The roster spot is open because infielder Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the injured list after aggravating an oblique injury two weeks ago. Song is swinging in the cage and could get in a game before spring ends and join the team not long after the season starts.
France, who won a Gold Glove at first base and batted .257/.320/.360 for the Twins and Blue Jays in 2025, entered Friday tied for the team lead with 14 hits this spring. Miranda had 13 hits.
“The biggest thing was just coming into camp and showing that I was myself and healthy and playing my style of baseball,” said France, who was an All-Star with the Mariners in 2022. “I feel like I did a good job of that. So it’s out of my control now.”
Rotation equation
Starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who like France has more than six years of service time and can opt out today is he is not assured of being on the active roster, has made the team.
This was determined after he displayed a varied and effective pitch mix while allowing two runs on eight hits over 8⅔ innings in his past two Cactus League starts.
Buehler and Germán Márquez are expected to man the final two spots in the rotation to begin the season – after incumbent starters Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Randy Vásquez.
Buehler will be guaranteed $1.5 million in 2026 with the possibility to make as much as $4 million based on time on the active roster. Marquez signed a major league deal that guarantees him $1.75 million with the potential to make as much as $5 million.
Bench, bullpen
The other pending decisions revolve around one bench spot and what might be one spot in the bullpen.
Indications from those familiar with the Padres’ deliberations are that outfielder Bryce Johnson is the favorite to make the team over Jase Bowen. Johnson hit .342 with a.383 on-base percentage for the Padres last season and is on the 40-man roster. Bowen signed as a minor-league free agent and excited the Padres this spring. They do expect he will be called up at some point.
With left-hander Yuki Matsui expected to begin the season on the injured list and Jason Adam trending toward being ready for opening day, there could be just one bullpen job available on the opening-day roster.
That competition appears to be down to Ron Marinaccio, Bradgley Rodriguez and Logan Gillaspie.
Gillaspie is a “bridge” relief option. And while the Padres have all but made it official that left-hander Kyle Hart will occupy that role to start the season, they might want extra protection early in the season as starting pitchers are ramping up. However, Marinaccio can also go multiple innings and is out of options, meaning he would have to be placed on waivers if he is not on the roster.
Rodriguez, 22, is a hard thrower who made his major league debut last season and has alternately been highly impressive and struggled with his command this spring.
If the Padres decide to slow-play Adam, that means two relievers can win a spot.
Notable
- Griffin Canning, signed by the Padres in February, pitched one inning against Single-A players for the Mariners on Friday morning. It was his second time facing batters and first time doing so in a game setting since undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles in June. Canning is expected to be able to join the rotation by May.
- The Padres are the only team among the 30 in MLB to have not named an opening-day starter. It is almost certainly Nick Pivetta, who was far and away their best pitcher in 2025.
- First pitch for Sunday’s Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks has been pushed back to 6:10 p.m. PT due to the heat. The forecasted high for Sunday is 100 degrees, which would make it the coolest day since Tuesday. The Padres’ only day game in that span is Saturday.
San Diego, CA
NASCAR makes history with inaugural Naval Base Coronado race
CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Final preparations are underway for NASCAR’s historic race weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where stock cars will compete on an active military installation for the first time in the sport’s history.
Crews, race teams, military personnel, first responders and event staff spent Thursday putting the finishing touches on the temporary road course as thousands of fans prepare to descend on the base for the inaugural event.
“The countdown is on,” as organizers work to transform portions of the installation into a race venue unlike any NASCAR has hosted before.
“It’s a very proud moment for NASCAR and myself and my company for being part of it,” said Jordan Litchko, a NASCAR production partner with ignition production. “It’s the America 250, so what a year to celebrate and be here on the naval base.”
Officials say the event marks the first time a NASCAR national series race has been held on a military base, bringing one of America’s most recognizable motorsports directly onto a working military installation.
Unlike traditional oval tracks, competitors will tackle a temporary road course built specifically for the event.
“It’s a road course race, which adds way more excitement, so it’s going to be ultra challenging,” Litchko said.
Thursday’s preparations included long lines of team members, vendors, staff and emergency personnel picking up credentials and completing security and base access requirements ahead of race weekend.
Meanwhile, drivers and crews got their first close look at the unique layout, which winds through portions of the base and presents a challenge far different from a conventional speedway.
With large crowds expected throughout the weekend, organizers are encouraging fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Traffic delays are anticipated around Naval Base Coronado and nearby access points as spectators arrive for the event.
After months of planning and construction, the wait is nearly over.
On Friday, engines will roar to life aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a milestone moment for NASCAR and creating a new chapter in the sport’s history. By the weekend’s end, fans will witness a race unlike any ever held before — stock cars competing on a military base in the heart of San Diego.
San Diego, CA
San Diego begins installing parking meters in San Ysidro business district
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.
To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.
“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”
Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.
Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.
City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.
Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.
“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”
Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);
— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);
— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);
— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);
— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);
— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).
San Diego, CA
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office seeks information on missing Poway man
POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is asking for any information regarding the whereabouts of a missing Poway man.
59-year-old William Clayton Miller was reported missing by his sister, who last saw him on March 2, 2026.
Miller’s car was later found at the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve in the City of Poway, where it sat for several weeks, according to authorities.
On Saturday, June 13, around 80 Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers and detectives from the Major Crimes Division conducted a search of the Lake Poway area and found nothing of significance.
This is the second coordinated search by the Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue teams.
Miller is described as a white male adult, 6 feet 0 inches tall, 210 pounds, bald, of medium build, with brown eyes and white hair.
Miller has been categorized as a voluntary missing adult and is not known to have any life-threatening medical conditions, nor does he require life- sustaining medications.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of William Clayton Miller is urged to contact the Major Crimes Division at 858‑285‑6330.
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