The San Diego Padres embarked on their final road trip of the 2025 regular season with hopes of clinching a Wild Card postseason berth. Trying to secure a win away from Petco Park is less than ideal, but with the playoffs looming, this task becomes even more difficult.
Looking toward October, the Padres are quietly optimistic about getting a much-needed reinforcement in the lineup with the return of Xander Bogaerts for the postseason. He has been out for almost a month with a fractured foot.
Losing Bogaerts forced Friars to be creative at SS
Bogaerts
was in the midst of his best offensive production as a Friar. He was hitting .262 with 10 HRs and 49 RBI before the injury. His absence has left a hole in the lineup, forcing Friars manager Mike Shildt to scramble to find more offensive production.
Jose Iglesias has been the primary shortstop, but Shildt has shifted the left side of the infield alignment to add more punch to the attack. He moved Jake Cronenworth from second base to shortstop, Luis Arraez from first base to second base, and inserted Ryan O’Hearn at first base. The lineup change has regained some momentum for the Padres.
Bogaerts hopes to play October baseball
The hope is for Bogaerts to progress well enough and work his way back onto the field in time for the Wild Card round. Keep in mind the timeline is tight, so no physical setbacks can occur. The Padres will manage the rehab workload with caution, as any delay in his return will force the Friars to keep Bogaerts off the postseason roster.
Once the playoffs begin, the Friar Faithful hope to have him at the shortstop position. We have to remember that Bogaerts will be playing through an injury that may require Shildt to insert a defensive replacement late in games.
The sudden movements associated with playing defensively at short could re-aggravate his foot injury. There is no need to put Bogaerts at risk in the Wild Card round. But at some point in the postseason, the kid gloves will have to come off.
The Padres believe in Bogaerts, but they need confidence that he is healthy and can contribute in October.
