Padres Down on the Farm: April 1 (Chihuahuas rained out, Mayfield gets TinCaps’ Opening Day)
Lake Elsinore Storm
Padres minor league affiliates appeared to embrace the spirit of April Fools’ Day, as no games were played on Wednesday night.
Here is our recap of… scratch that, here are our system-wide updates as we open the month of April.
El Paso Chihuahuas – Rained out vs Tacoma (2-2 on the season)
The Chihuahuas’ regularly scheduled game vs the Tacoma Rainiers (SEA Triple-A affiliate) was rained out on Tuesday. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, per an official press release by the Chihuahuas. Sean Boyle was scheduled to start for El Paso against former Chihuahuas right-hander Gabe Mosser. El Paso will resume the series (weather permitting) on Thursday.
Tonight’s Chihuahuas road game in Tacoma has been rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday night.
The Chihuahuas’ first home game is on Tuesday at 6:35 pm!
— El Paso Chihuahuas (@epchihuahuas) April 2, 2026
San Antonio Missions – No Game
San Antonio’s regular-season opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, against Tulsa. Left-hander Luke Fox has been announced as the Drillers’ starter. While the Missions have yet to announce a starter, Miguel Mendez would be in line to start on four days’ rest if he gets the nod.
Fort Wayne TinCaps – No Game
The TinCaps’ regular season opener is set for Friday, April 3, against Great Lakes at Dow Diamond. The TinCaps officially announced Kash Mayfield as their Opening Day starter. First pitch is set for 3:05 pm Pacific. Get prepped for the team’s Opening Day with our TinCaps Season Preview, where we projected the roster and made predictions for the team’s performance in 2025, here.
No foolin’ around 💪
Kash Mayfield gets the Opening Day nod pic.twitter.com/DtX0FQKcur
— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) April 1, 2026
Lake Elsinore Storm – No Game
The Lake Elsinore Storm is set to open its regular season against Ontario on Thursday, April 2. No Opening Day starter has been announced for the team yet, though Kruz Schoolcraft and Kannon Kemp are logical fits for the nod. Get prepped for the team’s Opening Day with our Storm Season Preview, where we look at the team’s roster and make predictions for their performance, here.
We’re so back.#EmbraceTheStorm🌩️ pic.twitter.com/fylLImGESb
— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) March 30, 2026
ACL Padres – No Game
The Padres made several roster moves to open the month, sending seven players to the ACL Padres. The most notable among these names are Padres No. 14 prospect Michael Salina and No. 17 prospect Tucker Musgrove. It appears as though the Padres want Musgrove to get regular in-game action before sending him to an affiliate.
Salina, meanwhile, is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery and will likely get some action in a controlled environment before heading out to an affiliate. Also joining them on the ACL Padres are right-handers Cameron Nohos, Will Koger, Carson Swilling, and Jordan Valenzuela, left-hander Ryan Reed, and catcher Yoiber Ocopio. These players will be in extended Spring Training until the start of the ACL season, which is set for Saturday, May 2.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.