San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez was a late scratch before Saturday’s game against the San Diego Padres. The 29-year-old was penciled in to leadoff the batting order and play second base.
But San Francisco was cautious with the 2026 All-Star after he felt some cramping during pregame warmups.
“The Giants have scratched Luis Arraez from the lineup. They say he still felt some cramping during pregame warmups and the move is for precautionary reasons,” according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.
The lineup decision garnered trade speculation. But Arraez also exited Friday’s game due to cramping. Nonetheless, the Giants are being careful with their potential trade candidate.
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 29: Luis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after hitting a single against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at Oracle Park on July 29, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)
Luis Arraez Returns To Giants Lineup Ahead of Sunday’s Game
After missing last night’s game, Arraez is slated to leadoff and man second base in Sunday’s series finale against his former team.
The rest of the Giants’ starting lineup is relatively the same. The only change is 25-year-old Osleivis Basabe playing third base after replacing Arraez at second base on Saturday.
The infielder impressed in Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Padres. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a two-run double. His homer was the first of his MLB career.
Basabe accounted for 4 of the 5 runs batted in for San Francisco. His two-run double in the top of the 8th inning came off of San Diego’s superstar closer Mason Miller.
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 26: Luis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after hitting a two-run RBI double while standing on second base against the Los Angeles Angels in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oracle Park on July 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Latest Luis Arraez Trade Rumors
There are a lot of trade rumors surrounding the four-time All-Star ahead of the MLB trade deadline. The deadline is set for Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
“Luis Arraez continues to draw interest from the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Guardians, and Padres, but the Giants remain set on a high asking price, per sources,” MLB writer Francys Romero shared via X.
Two more reports about Arraez’s trade destination came out earlier on Sunday.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier on Sunday that the Tampa Bay Rays are considered the “heavy favorite” to trade for Luis Arraez.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote via X, “Rays, Rangers, Phillies are among teams on Luis Arraez, who prefers to stay at 2B where he’s thrived this year in SF. Yanks like him but positional fit might be an issue for them.”
The second baseman is on an expiring contract with the Giants and will be a free agent come this offseason. Arraez signed a one-year, $12 million deal with San Francisco heading into 2026.
A big selling point was the 8-year MLB veteran getting to return to second base. Arraez was one of the worst defenders at the position early in his career. The Padres even moved him to first base/designated hitter.
But the 29-year-old improved his defense tremendously this season. He is one of the best defenders at second base and still provides elite bat-to-ball skills at the top of the lineup.
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