San Diego Padres' Song Seong-mun will start as the cleanup hitter in a Major League Baseball exhibition game. A matchup with Japanese pitcher Imanaga Shota has been arranged.
San Diego will play the Chicago Cubs in a 2026 MLB exhibition game on the 25th (all times KST) at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
San Diego's starting lineup is Johnson (right field) Castellanos (first base) Andújar (designated hitter) Song Seong-mun (third base) Solak (left field) Taylor (center field) McCoy (second base) Reyes (shortstop) Durán (catcher).
With key players such as Manny Machado absent, Song Seong-mun will bat fourth.
Song Seong-mun secured a four-year, $15 million contract with San Diego through posting. However, he suffered a side injury while training individually during the offseason. He missed the World Baseball Classic and, after rehabilitation, is participating in San Diego's spring camp.
Song Seong-mun made a substitute appearance in an exhibition game against the LA Dodgers on the 23rd. Coming in as a substitute, he struck out with two outs and a runner on second in the sixth inning and was retired on a groundout to shortstop in the ninth inning. He is seeking his first hit in the exhibition games.
The Cubs' starting pitcher is Imanaga. It is his first appearance in the exhibition games. Imanaga reached the big leagues in 2024, appearing in 29 games with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA. Last year he went 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 25 games and was unable to maintain the momentum from his debut season.
After last season, the Cubs did not exercise a three-year, $57 million club option. Imanaga also declined a one-year, $15 million player option and became a free agent.
The Cubs then made Imanaga a qualifying offer, which he accepted, choosing to re-enter free agency. Imanaga will play for the Cubs in the 2026 season for a salary of $22,025,000.
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