Sunday’s hero is starting Monday.
Jose Iglesias, who drove in all of the Padres’ runs in a 3-2 victory over the Royals Sunday, is at second base in the opener of a three-game series against the Nationals.
Iglesias is starting at second base and batting seventh while Jake Cronenworth moves to first base and is batting eighth against left-hander Mitchell Parker.
Luis Arraez, the Padres’ regular first baseman is serving as the desiginated hitter on Monday.
Padres vs. Nationals
Facing LHP Mitchell ParkerTatis RF
Merrill CF
Machado 3B
Arraez DH
Bogaerts SS
Sheets LF
Iglesias 2B
Cronenworth 1B
Diaz CSP: Kolek
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) June 23, 2025
Iglesias’ single in the seventh inning Sunday drove in the Padres’ first two runs. He remained in the the game as the second baseman in place of Cronenworth, for whom he had hit. Iglesias won the game in the ninth inning with a grounder to shortstop that scored Arraez.
This is the fifth straight game started by an opposing left-hander that both Iglesias and Cronenworth have both been in the lineup.
Iglesias is batting .267 with a .690 OPS against left-handers and .232 with a .565 OPS overall.
Cronenworth, who is batting eighth for just the third time this season, is batting just .196 with a .582 OPS against lefties. He is batting .261 with an .808 OPS against right-handers.
CJ Abrams and James Wood, who were key components sent to Washington in the August 2022 trade for Juan Soto, are the top two hitters in Nationals’ lineup Monday.
seventy nine. pic.twitter.com/sV7hiJFQmJ
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 23, 2025
The Padres are attempting to win a third consecutive game for what would be the first time since June 1-3.
Monday’s pitching matchup
Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (4-8, 4.59 ERA)
The second-year starter is walking 3.5 batters per nine innings and has just 58 strikeouts in 80⅓ innings. He is coming off eight strikeouts over six innings of one-run ball in a loss to the Rockies. Seven of his 15 starts have been quality starts. Parker allowed six runs in three innings in his only start against the Padres, last year in Washington.
Here is how he’s fared against current Padres:
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-2, 3.59 ERA)
It had been nearly a month since Kolek penned a quality start when he did so against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing three runs over 6⅓ innings in a no-decision. Kolek hasn’t won since allowing six runs in the first inning of an 8-6 win against the Marlins. He faced the Nationals as a reliever last year, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk in an inning of work.
Here is how Kolek fared last year against current Nationals:
