Díaz made a second straight start today for the first time since Apr. 5-7. While probably not truly a quality starting catcher, Diaz has to be a better option than Martín Maldonado, who continues to handle Dylan Cease and Randy Vásquez when they pitch. Díaz is catching Michael King and Nick Pivetta, both of whom are off to outstanding starts. Díaz also has a .652 to .506 OPS advantage on Maldonado.

The homer came in the second inning, but making the difference tonight has to help Díaz’s case for regaining some playing time. He started over Martín Maldonado in seven of San Diego’s first 11 games, but Maldonado has gotten the call in eight of the last 13. That’s been the case even though the Padres are 12-0 in Diaz’s starts, compared to 5-7 in Maldonado’s. Diaz has mostly caught Michael King and Nick Pivetta, while Maldonado has had Dylan Cease and Randy Vásquez.

The Padres didn’t play Thursday, so this is three straight days off for Díaz, who presumably doesn’t need it. A legitimate contender going with Martín Maldonado as its starting catcher in the year 2025 seems a little crazy, but it’s not like Díaz is more than a placeholder, either.

The deal, which had been agreed to earlier in the week, is now official. The 34-year-old backstop hit .265/.313/.382 with six long balls and 39 RBI in 351 plate appearances between the Rockies and Padres in 2024. He’ll share the load behind the plate with Luis Campusano but is unlikely to suddenly return to relevance from a fantasy perspective.