Standing just beyond the infield dirt in shallow left field, San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez paused his pregame preparations and set his eyes up on the scoreboard.
There, he was treated to a tribute video that took him through some of his most memorable moments as a Twin. He watched his first career hit and home run. He saw the walk he worked against New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz after entering a game mid-plate appearance and inheriting an 0-2 count. He relived a clip of himself breaking up future Padres teammate Dylan Cease’s no-hit bid in the ninth inning.
When the video was over, he tipped his hat to a cheering crowd and waved his hand. And when he came up to the plate for his first-inning at-bat, he gave former teammate Ryan Jeffers a hug before waving to Twins fans once again. And then, as those same fans had seen many times before, he sent a single to right field.
It’s been nearly three full seasons since Luis Arraez, a fan favorite while with the Twins, played a game at Target Field. But the infielder received a warm welcome upon his return to Target Field on Friday evening.
The Twins traded Arraez for starting pitcher Pablo López in the offseason ahead of the 2023 season. The Twins visited Miami that year. Had he stayed with the Marlins, he would have returned to Target Field as a visitor late last season. Instead, he was traded to the Padres midseason and played against the Twins in San Diego.
“When I (woke) up, I just opened the door and then I told my wife, ‘Wow, this is the team that gave me the opportunity to play baseball,’ ” Arraez said. “They signed me in 2013 when I was 16 years old, and then this is my first team. I’m excited to be here.”
Arraez acknowledged the fan support and also mentioned hall of famer Rod Carew and Twins first base coach Ramon Borrego as among those who helped him along his way. Borrego was one of Arraez’s minor league managers, and he credited him with helping improve his defense, calling him one of his “favorite coaches.”
The 28-year-old broke onto the scene in 2019 and gradually won the second baseman job from veteran Jonathan Schoop. He spent four seasons in a Twins uniform, winning a batting title in the final one. He then went on to win a batting title the next season in Miami and a season later, in 2024, with San Diego. His numbers have slightly dipped this season, but Arraez entered Friday with 147 hits, good for fifth in the majors.
“He did great things for us. He really did,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I always said if you have a runner in scoring position, there’s no hitter you’d want up at the plate more than Luis Arraez, because if you just need to score a run, he can bring that run in. And he just does nothing but continue to get hits.
“He was a pleasure to work with, he was a good teammate, he was a good citizen. He was a very good Twin,” Baldelli added. “And he got a lot of hits for us.”
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