San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez struck out for the first time in over one month during the team’s 3-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday.
The three-time All-Star had last been set down on strikes on Aug. 10 against his former team, the Miami Marlins. After spending his first four MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins — winning his first of two straight batting titles and Silver Slugger Awards in 2022 — Arraez was traded to South Beach in January 2023 for two minor leaguers and 2023 All-Star starting pitcher Pablo Lopez.
The Venezuelan set career highs in hits (203), home runs (10), RBI (69), total bases (269), batting average (NL-best .354), slugging percentage (.469) and OPS (.861) during his first year with the Marlins. Arraez was sent from Miami to San Diego on May 4 for four minor leaguers, made his third consecutive All-Star team this summer and enters Tuesday leading the senior circuit in hits (194) and batting average (.323).
Five innings after his historic punchout in the second frame on Monday night, Arraez departed the contest with a knee injury. The 27-year-old was confident that he wouldn’t miss any games, however.
With big boppers like six-time All-Star Manny Machado, four-time All-Star Xander Bogaerts, two-time All-Star Fernando Tatis Jr. and NL Rookie of the Year contender Jackson Merrill joining him in the lineup, it’s sometimes easy to overlook Arraez. If the Friars were to lose their table-setter for any amount of time ahead of the stretch run, however, the impact would be felt immensely.
Fortunately for San Diego, it appears that he’ll be good to go sooner rather than later.