With the batting title online, the Padres make the decision on Luis Arráez for the final game

San Diego Padres second baseman Luis Arraez is expected to be in the starting lineup on Sunday, according to manager Mike Shildt.

Arraez is well on his way to his third straight title. The second baseman is currently batting .314, which is the leading batting average in the National League.

However, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is just a few points behind Arraez at .310.

Ohtani went 2-5 against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. The Dodgers slugger will likely play the final game of the season as he looks for a chance to reach a Triple Crown. Ohtani's 54 home runs and 130 RBIs lead the league in both categories. But he still pursues one thing.

Ohtani only improved his batting average by a hair on Saturday. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old was missing from Saturday's 5-0 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

However, based on his performance in the final game of the season on Sunday, Arraez has a chance to retain his title.

Arraez had a significant lead over all other players in the National League until September 18th. Ohtani, who hit .287, went on a wild nine-game winning streak, going 26-for-39 (.667).

The Padres second baseman had gone 5-for-28 (.179), lowering his batting average to .320. In the three-game series against the Dodgers, Arraez went 0 for 12. His struggles at the plate during San Diego's time at Dodger Stadium helped bridge the gap for Ohtani to move in.

San Diego secured the first wild card spot and thereby gave several starters a break on Saturday. Arraez was one of the starters who earned a day of rest.

The league-leading batting average depends on the record of Sunday games. Arraez would have to go 0-for-4 on Sunday and Ohtani would have to go at least 3-for-4 to surpass the second baseman's average.

If Arraez went 0 for 4, his average would drop to .31191. If Ohtani went at least 3-for-4, that would increase his average to .31289.

Both Arraez and Ohtani are leading in their respective games. Arraez will compete at Chase Field, a hit-happy stadium. Ohtani will play at Coors Field, also a hit-friendly stadium.

There is a high chance that both hitters will get a chance to strike out five times on the final day of the season.

Padres fans will have to hold their breath again to see if Arraez can maintain his lead over one of baseball's best players.