San Diego Padres: 3 players we're watching on Friday against Oakland Athletics

The San Diego Padres start the final leg of a three-city road trip on Friday night when they visit the Oakland Athletics to kick off a three-game series.

Sure, it's a return for San Diego manager Bob Melvin to his old stomping grounds in Oakland, but there are other things to keep an eye on in Friday's tilt, including these three players.

San Diego Padres: 3 players to watch against Oakland A's

Luis Campusano: Given a chance to show what he can do behind the plate, Campusano has responded, slashing .320/.346/.440 over his last 25 at-bats. The 24-year-old could be in line for more playing time next season and now is a prime time to show the Padres that he can perform. How he does down the stretch could also factor into San Diego's plans to have the injured Gary Sanchez return as a free agent next season as well.

Juan Soto: Friday night's matchup against Oakland left-hander Sean Newcomb is an interesting one for Soto. He is 2-for-10 against him lifetime, but one of those hits was a solo home run back in 2018 when Soto was with the Washington Nationals and Newcomb was pitching for the Atlanta Braves. Soto has also struck out in five of his 10 at-bats against the southpaw.

Soto comes into Friday's game hot at the plate, slashing .308/.400/.615 over his past 26 at-bats.

Seth Lugo: The Padres starter has been hot and cold in his two September starts, allowing six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings earlier in the road trip against the Houston Astros. That came after a solid outing at Petco Park on September 3 when he held the San Francisco Giants scoreless through 6.0 innings, scattering three hits and striking out four.

Which Lugo will be on the mound on Friday night? Since the All-Star break, his ERA (4.21, 11 starts) is almost a full run higher than it was before the Midsummer Classic (3.39, 12 starts), so a strong start from Lugo will be a good sign for San Diego on Friday night.