The Latest Breaking News from Xander Bogaerts

Ohtani and the Dodgers will create quite a buzz this spring, but they're not the only story lines to track in the lead-up to Opening Day.

The Giants did everything wrong but still got the out.

TORONTO — Blake Snell tripped and fell into some old habits. But he caught himself.

SAN DIEGO — Yu Darvish climbed the mound on Friday some seven pounds lighter than his last start on June 21.

SAN DIEGO — The Padres know they have been playing better in most games while falling further behind in the standings.

CINCINNATI — The Padres weren't done.

CINCINNATI — With two hits and two fly ball outs, the Padres tied Friday's game in the ninth inning. It was the kind of manufacturing and kind of late rally they have not produced often this season.

PITTSBURGH — It may have been tough to see through the cloudy haze that enveloped Pittsburgh throughout the day on Wednesday and well into the night. But if you squinted hard enough, peering through the smoke, you saw that productive offense had returned to the North Shore.

It's time to look at the big picture for the flailing, lost Padres. In a 162-game season, offensive slumps routinely amount to micro problems. They come. They go.

What will it take for the Padres to reach the playoffs?

ATLANTA — Six Braves players were on the National League’s All-Star team in 2022. Three of them won’t represent the team this year. Dansby Swanson and William Contreras play elsewhere, and injuries have limited lefty Max Fried to five starts. Yet the Braves still could send six players to MLB’s…