A balky hamstring kept Miguel Andujar from settling into the lineup early in the season.

Now that he’s behind that crankiness, Padres manager Craig Stammen can’t keep him out of the lineup.

Andujar will start a ninth straight game on Friday (6:45 p.m. on Apple TV). The 31-year-old veteran leads the team in batting average (.305) and has an .818 OPS that is third on the team behind the injured Luis Campusano (.958) and first baseman Ty France (.846).

Andujar his hitting .290/.290/.581 with two homers while starting the last eight games.

“He’s gotten hot,” Stammen said. “Felt like he’s taken some really good at-bats, maybe the best at-bats of anybody in our lineup, and he’s had some good matchups, too, guys he’s hit well in the past. So, you know, feeling good about him in the lineup.”

La alineación del viernes.

📺: https://t.co/WtqPJHNDQY pic.twitter.com/ruQNGH5jjO

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 8, 2026

Adujar has starts in the two- and three-holes and in the fifth, sixth and seven spots. On Friday, he’ll serve as the DH and bat sixth in yet another variation as the Padres look to get their offense clicking.

Jackson Merrill will lead off a fourth straight game, followed by Xander Bogaerts, who is batting second for the fifth time this season and the first time since April 3 in Boston.

Manny Machado will at third, followed by first baseman Gavin Sheets and Fernando Tatis Jr. getting his third start in the five-hole.

Left fielder Ramón Laureano will bat seventh, followed by Freddy Fermin and second baseman Sung-Mung Song in his first start at Petco Park.

The Padres (22-15) have just four wins in their last 11 games and a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West.

The Cardinals (22-15) are 3½ games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.

Here is how they will line up for Game 2 in San Diego:

Starters for tonight’s game on @AppleTV pic.twitter.com/aUVn1Ai9lY

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 8, 2026

 

Friday’s pitching matchup

Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (2-2, 2.52 ERA)

The former first-rounder has a 3.59 ERA in 158 innings since his debut in 2024. He has turned in quality starts in four of his seven outings this season. Both of McGreevy’s starts against the Padres came last year (10⅔ IP, 11 ER), although he won the second in San Diego (6 IP, 4 ER).

Here is how McGreevy has fared against current Padres:

Padres RHP Griffin Canning (0-0, 1.80 ERA)

He struck out seven and allowed a run on three hits and three walks in five innings on Sunday in his Padres debut. He threw 42 of his 73 pitches for strikes. Canning has a 3.63 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals, including six innings of one-run ball in a win last year.

Here is how Canning has fared against current Cardinals: