Luis Arraez & Padres teammate Yuli Gurriel can't stop smiling during their recent Cuban restaurant outing

San Diego Padres teammates Yuli Gurriel and Luis Arraez treated themselves to a special dinner at a Cuban restaurant ahead of the Opening Day on Thursday. The duo has been working hard this spring, with the Padres setting their sights on a deep postseason run in 2025.

Gurriel, who is in the final few years of his MLB career, signed a minor league contract with the Padres earlier this spring. Meanwhile, the reigning three-time batting champion Arraez is coming off a torn ligament surgery in his thumb.

On Tuesday, amid spring training workouts, Gurriel and Arraez made some time to go out for dinner at a Cuban restaurant named "Havana." The two MLB stars were caught sharing a meal, laughter and camaraderie as teammates.

Gurriel shared the picture on social media as the duo smiled their way into a frame.

Gurriel's Instagram story

The Padres are set to host the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Petco Park for the regular season opener.

As per a report from MLB Trade Rumors, the Padres will select three out of four veterans, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Iglesias and Martín Maldonado, to complete their 26-man Opening Day roster. It remains to be seen if Arraez's friend makes it through.

Luis Arraez recovers fully from thumb surgery

The Padres missed the services of Luis Arraez in the 2024 postseason as he underwent thumb surgery in October. An argument could be made that had he played in the classic NLDS clash against the Dodgers, the face of the postseason would be a lot different.

A contact hitter like him could have proven to be valuable for the Padres, who took shutout beatings in the final two games of the series, resulting in their elimination despite being 2-1 after three games.

Entering the 2025 season, Arraez feels fresh and raring to go.

"I got jammed yesterday, and I didn't feel anything," Arraez said. "That's a good sign. ... I feel like I got a new thumb."

He further spoke about his thumb's situation last year.

"It affected me a lot, because I use my hands a lot," Arraez added via MLB.com. "I stay inside-out. But I couldn't use it last year. This year … I don't feel anything in my thumb. Good sign. I think it's a lot of problems [for] the pitchers this year."

Arraez batted .314 with a .738 OPS in 2024. His batting average has been revolving around the .300 mark since he made his debut in 2019. The Padres could use someone like him to set up at the basepath and drive in by the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.