Padres pregame: Ramón Laureano batting second as Luis Arraez gets day off

The Padres’ best hitter — at the moment — is getting a look in the two-hole.

With Luis Arraez getting a day off, Ramón Laureano is starting for just the second time since joining the Padres in Wednesday’s 1:10 p.m. finale in Seattle.

Laureano is hitting .330/.379/.625 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 24 games since arriving from the Orioles at the trade deadline.

His only other start in the two-hole was on Aug. 6, when Arraez slid into the leadoff spot for a day off for Fernando Tatis Jr.

Including his work in Baltimore, Laureano has 21 homers and a .300/.361/.553 batting line on the season.

His .914 OPS is not only tops among all Padres, it ranks eighth in the majors among players with at least 350 plate appearances. Only Aaron Judge (1.100), Nick Kurtz (1.034), Shohei Ohtani (1.001), Cal Raleigh (.943), Kyle Schwarber (.934), George Springer (.930) and Ketel Marte (.916) are higher.

Laureano has 14 starts batting seventh, six starts batting sixth and one each in the two-, four- and five-holes.

Arraez’s .283 batting average would be a career low if the season ended today and is significantly below his career average (.316), not to mention where he was at the height of his career upon winning a second batting title in 2023 (.354).

Arraez hasn’t managed to finish any month this season above an .800 OPS, logged a .788 OPS in July and has a .583 OPS so far in August.

Arraez hasn’t started a game lower than fourth in the order this year and has 110 starts so far in the two-hole.

Wednesday is Arraez’s first day off since May 26. He is hitting .284/.318/.380 for a .699 OPS over that stretch. The Padres are 45-36 in those games.

It’s Darvish Day in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/ALX2V20bil

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 27, 2025

Without Arraez in Wednesday’s lineup, Jake Croneworth (.748 OPS) will get the start at first base and bat eighth, Jose Iglesias (.577 OPS) will start at second base and bat seventh and Ryan O’Hearn (.837 OPS) will serve as the DH and clean-up hitter.

Before the game, the Mariners recalled right-hander Emerson Hancock from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned out right-hander Sauryn Lao.

The No. 6 overall pick from 2020, Hancock has a 5.10 ERA in 30 starts in the majors since making his debut in 2023, but he’s returning to the majors as a reliever after working a single inning for Tacoma on Aug. 20 (1 ER) and Sunday (0 ER).

Hancock, according to the Seattle Times, was due to pitch again Wednesday in the minors but is being called up to fortify a bullpen that’s been taxed on the homestand.

Here is how the Mariners (71-62, 2nd in AL West) will line up for the rubber match:

Woo Wednesday. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/R9q2wwIxAw

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 27, 2025

Wednesday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (3-3, 5.36 ERA)

He has a 3.00 ERA over his last five starts, leading the Padres to a 4-1 record in those appearances. Darvish hasn’t thrown more than 84 pitches in any of his nine starts since returning from the elbow trouble that sidelined him in spring training. Darvish has a 3.58 ERA in 100⅔ innings against the Mariners. He beat them in his lone start last year (5 IP, 2 ER).

Here is how Darvish has fared against current Mariners:

Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (11-7, 2.94 ERA)

He has a 2.08 ERA in four starts this month and allowed one run in three of those starts, including over seven innings in his last outing against the Athletics. Woo has won both starts (1.98 ERA) in his career against the Padres, the last in May as he struck out six and allowed a run over seven innings.

Here is how Woo has fared against current Padres: