Inside The Padres

Padres' Ramon Laureano Scratched From Lineup Ahead of Sunday's Game vs Reds

He was a late scratch ahead of Sunday's game.
Noah Camras|
Feb 23, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Ramon Laureano (5) chases down a two run triple by Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jett Williams (76) in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Ramon Laureano (5) chases down a two run triple by Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jett Williams (76) in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres scratched outfielder Ramón Laureano from the lineup ahead of Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds.

He was removed from the lineup with what the team is calling general body fatigue.

Here's the updated lineup for Sunday's game:

Laureano is set to be the team's starting left fielder this season. The 31-year-old was acquired by the Padres at last year's trade deadline after he had a breakout season with the Baltimore Orioles.

He appeared in 50 games in the second half of the year for the Padres, hitting .269 with an OPS of .812. He then fractured his finger after getting hit by a pitch in late September and was forced to miss the rest of the season, a huge loss for the Padres lineup.

This offseason, the Padres picked up Laureano's $6.5 million option, a no-brainer given the value he brings to the team. Now, he'll look to repeat his career year, providing some much-needed length to the San Diego lineup.

Laureano is entering a contract year, looking to finally cash in after what's been an up-and-down MLB career.

Laureano was drafted by the Houston Astros in 2014 before being traded to the Athletics. He was with the Athletics from 2018-23 before being claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians. He struggled with Cleveland in 2024 before being released and joining the Atlanta Braves. That's where he was able to resurrect his career, and earn himself an opportunity with the Orioles where he ultimately broke out.

The $6.5 million contract is the highest he's had at the MLB level, but at 31 years old, he could still earn one more big contract if he puts together a strong 2026 season.

Laureano isn't worried about the offseason, though, instead just focusing on this year with the Padres.

“I don’t really think about it,” Laureano said to the San Diego Union-Tribune of his impending free agency. “I think about it in a process way, just focus on the process and present and continue the same thing that I did last year. And, I mean, I’ve been doing this for a couple years already, so just focus on that really. And I’m just being grateful for, all my teammates, this team and … a front office putting us with a good team for us to go far.”

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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