At one point, Jose Iglesias started 22 straight games. His start at third base on Sunday in the series finale against the Mariners (1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV) is just his second start in the last 12 games, a product of the Padres welcoming the likes of Luis Arraez, Jason Heyward, Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth off the injured list.
Whether a conversation needed to be had, Padres manager Mike Shildt had it with the 35-year-old veteran.
“I went up to him, Croney’s back, your role’s going to change,” Shildt said earlier on the homestand. “ ‘I get it. I get it, whatever you need. I just love this team.’ The fact is (he’s) willing to do whatever it takes just to win game. And right now it’s moving around a little bit, especially after we get some days off and we have a longer stretch of games where he’s a valuable piece to go get Manny (Machado) a day, (Xander Bogaerts) a day.”
That day arrived Sunday.
At least a half-day off for Machado, who will serve as the designated hitter. The Padres are off Monday before playing nine straight games. They will also play 13 in a row two different times before the end of June.
So even if the Padres remain healthy, Iglesias will be needed to get the team through that stretch, just as Tyler Wade —who has one start in the last 10 games — will be needed.
Iglesias is hitting .228/.283/.272 on the season and hit .237/.293/.289 while starting 22 straight games.
Iglesias will bat ninth on Sunday as the Padres look to avoid a sweep and just their second three-game losing streak of the season.
Gavin Sheets is also starting his second game this season in left field as the Padres continue to look for production for the position. Jason Heyward started in left field on Saturday but had been giving way to the right-handed-hitting Brandon Lockridge against right-handed starters this week.
Sheets, who hit his sixth homer to for the Padres’ only run on Saturday, will bat sixth.
Sunday squad. pic.twitter.com/D36wDDnbpY
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 18, 2025
The Padres have lost four of their last six games but their 27-17 record is still fourth-best in baseball, one game behind the Dodgers (29-17) in the NL West.
Here is how the Mariners (25-19, 1st in AL West) will line up for the series finale:
Wrapping up the first leg of the #VedderCup with some day baseball 😎 pic.twitter.com/bBod2dkpzq
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 18, 2025
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.84 ERA)
The Cal Poly product has quality starts in all but two of his eight starts this year and has struck out 50 against eight walks over 50⅔ innings. Woo has been much better at home (0.93 ERA, 19⅓ innings) than he has been on the road (4.02 ERA, 31⅓ innings). He beat the Padres last year, allowing two runs over 6⅔ innings in his only start against them.
Here is how current Padres have fared against Woo:
Padres RHP Michael King (4-1, 2.32 ERA)
He has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts this year. King has a 1.64 ERA in six starts so far at Petco Park and a 3.63 ERA in three road starts. He has a 1.98 ERA in 132/3 innings against the Mariners, including two earned runs in 11 innings (1.64 ERA) in two starts last year, both losses for King.
Here is how King has fared against current Padres:
