The Padres are bolstering their bullpen with two fresh arms for Wednesday’s doubleheader.

The team optioned knuckleballer Matt Waldron to Triple-A El Paso, clearing the way to select right-hander Eduarniel Nuñez’s contract. Right-hander Ron Marinaccio was also called up as the 27th man for the split doubleheader on Padres.TV.

The first game starts at 10:05 a.m. The second will start at 3:15 p.m.

A minor league addition to the organization, the 26-year-old Nuñez had struck out 11 over 7⅓ shutout innings at Triple-A El Paso after starting the season with a 3.57 ERA in 22 ⅔ innings at Double-A San Antonio. All told, he was holding hitters to a .176 batting average and had struck out 49 batters in 30 innings.

Nuñez will be making his MLB debut.

The Padres acquired the 30-year-old Marinaccio from the White Sox in January for cash. He was 5-0 with 31 strikeouts, a 4.70 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in 30⅔ innings with El Paso. Marinaccio has a 3.22 ERA in 114 2/3 innings in the majors with the Yankees.

The other pitcher who might have been considered for a return to the majors, Sean Reynolds, threw Tuesday for El Paso.

As for the lineup for Game 1, Padres manager Mike Shildt is switching things up again.

Or back.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Luis Arraez will occupy the first four spots, something the Padres tried for three days before going with an Arraez-Machado-Merrill-Tatis configuration the five days.

Doubleheader on deck. pic.twitter.com/xMDwGq4qC3

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 2, 2025

In fact, the latter alignment was in play on Tuesday before the game was rained out.

The configuration had not had the desired effect.

The Padres were averaging 2.0 runs per game over their last five games (2-3) and were hitting .209/.291/.331. The Padres went 2-1 with 4.333 runs per game in an extremely small sample before the change was made after a 4-3 win.

They were averaging 3.9 runs per game over the 41 games (18-23) before trying Arraez as the cleanup hitter, hitting .230/.297/.354. Before their offensive weekend at Coors Field, the Padres were averaging 4.0 runs per game over 36 games to start the season (23-13) and hitting .245/.324/.382.

So not much slug in any window.

That’s as much about Tatis .209/.309/.353 over 52 games since he was hit by a pitch on May 2 and Merrill’s health pushing him in and out of the lineup.

Machado has also cooled considerably over his last 18 games (.181/.241/.333) and Arraez’s .286 batting average is a far cry from competing for a four straight batting title and his .318 on-base percentage is well below his career rate (.366).

The Padres (45-39) are eight games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and a half-game out of the NL’s last wild-card spot.

Here’s how the Phillies (50-35, 1st in NL East) will line up for Game 1:

Got a full day of baseball on deck#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/WazghxDmWm

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2025

 

Game 1 pitching matchup (10:05 a.m.)

Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (8-2, 3.36 ERA)

The 32-year-old veteran had a 5.50 ERA in four years with the Phillies. He’s made just two starts against the Phillies (8 IP, 8 ER), none in Philadelphia since the trade to Boston. Pivetta tied a season high with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings in his last start, a win. Pivetta has a 4.50 ERA in seven road starts this year.

Here is how Pivetta has fared against current Phillies:

Phillies RHP Mick Abel (2-1, 3.47 ERA)

The 23-year-old rookie was scheduled to start Friday in Atlanta, but a rain delay washed away the start. Abel last pitched on June 21, allowing four runs—all on homers—in three innings in the first loss of his career. Abel has a 4.85 ERA in three starts so far at home. Lefties have a .963 OPS off him, compared to righties’ .627 OPS.

 

Game 2 pitching matchup (3:15 p.m.)

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (3-7, 4.53 ERA)

He turned in three straight quality starts in mid-May (2.66 ERA), the only time this season in which Cease has gone back to back with quality starts. He followed up his most recent quality start (6 ⅔ IP, 1 ER on June 21) with four runs—three earned—allowed over four innings in a loss on Friday in Cincinnati. His only start against the Phillies was a loss last year (6 IP, 5 ER).

Here is how Cease has fared against current Phillies:

Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (6-2, 2.79 ERA)

His strikeout rate so far (9.9 per nine innings) is the best of his career. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 16 starts and has gone at least six innings in 10 starts. Sanchez has allowed four earned runs in 12 innings across two starts against the Padres, including a win last year (7 IP, 1 ER).

Here is how Sanchez has fared against current Padres: