Padres deny Jayce Tingler’s reported firing, call it ‘premature’

The San Diego Padres have denied a report that manager Jayce Tingler will be relieved of his duties ahead of Saturday's game against the Giants. MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman first reported the news Saturday afternoon citing league sources.

"Per A.J. Preller, no decision has been made on Jayce (Tingler's) employment status at this time," a Padres spokesperson says. "Heyman’s report is completely premature. He will be managing our game today."
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) October 2, 2021

Jayce Tingler will be relieved of managerial duties by the Padres. Tingler is a solid baseball man who did a good job last season. But considering the team’s lofty expectations and late-season collapse, this news was eaxpected.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 2, 2021

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Expectations were high for San Diego in 2021, as they were commonly seen as the Los Angeles Dodgers' top competition in the NL West race heading into the season.

The Giants instead came out of nowhere and have paced the division just about the entire season, while San Diego has collapsed over the final few months of the season.

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Tensions seemed to flare up several weeks ago when the Padres' top two stars engaged in a visible shouting match in the dugout, as Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. had to be separated by teammates.