Padres pregame: Freddy Fermin, Ramon Laureano back in lineup
Three days after exiting a game after a foul tip rattled his face mask, Freddy Fermin is back in the lineup for Saturday's 6:38 p.m. first pitch in Anaheim.
The 30-year-old Fermin had taken a number of foul balls off his mask to start the year. He passed concussion tests after the game, woke up fine on Thursday and avoided the injured list. Fermin was an option to catch Friday's game with Matt Waldron, but the Padres opted to give him one more day out of the starting lineup.
Fermin is hitting .161/.270/.226 through 15 games to start the season. He has two doubles, two RBIs, four walks and eight strikeouts.
Fermin will hit eighth on Saturday, between first baseman Ty France (.773 OPS) and second baseman Jake Cronenworth (.433 OPS).
Ramón Laureano is also back in the lineup, atop the order and in left field, after a day off on Friday.
Laureano is hitting .290/.355/.551 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 18 games.
Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (.625 OPS) will bat second, followed by center fielder Jackson Merrill (.743 OPS), third baseman Manny Machado (.702 OPS), shortstop Xander Bogaerts (.736 OPS) and designated hitter Miguel Andujar (.803 OPS).
The Padres' eight-game winning streak was snapped Friday.
Here is how the Angels will line up for Game 2:
Saturday’s pitching matchup
Padres RHP Germán Márquez (2-1, 5.54 ERA)
He's won back-to-back starts, although he was far more deserving in Pittsburgh (5 IP, 0 ER) than he was last time out at home (5 IP, 4 ER). Márquez has struck out 10 and walked four through 13 innings. Lefties have a 1.227 OPS this year against Márquez, vs. .721 for righties. Márquez has a 3.54 ERA in three career starts against the Angels, including a quality start last year (7 IP, 2 ER) in a no-decision.
Here is how he’s fared against current Angels:
Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 7.50 ERA)
The 34-year-old veteran has 19 strikeouts against 10 walks and hasn't completed six innings in any of his four starts. He allowed two home runs in his last start (3⅓ IP, 4 ER). Kikuchi has a 4.95 ERA in four career starts against the Padres. He allowed four runs - two earned - in six innings in a no-decision last year.
Here is how Kikuchi has fared against current Padres:
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 4:01 PM.