As the San Diego Padres continue to chase the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, the team has activated Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list.
The Padres optioned Will Wagner to the Arizona Complex League as a corresponding move.
After missing a month with a fractured left foot, Bogaerts is in the lineup and playing shortstop for the Padres against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
“I’m definitely happy to be able to come back a little bit sooner and be able to play in some big league games,” Bogaerts said, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “To get a couple games in me before we head into the playoffs will be really nice.”
Bogaerts returns in the midst of a so-so offensive season in which he is slashing .262/.330/.387 with a 98 OPS+. He also has 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
But those numbers only tell part of the story. In the 59 games before his injury, he was hitting .303 with an .835 OPS and seven of his 10 homers. Baseball Savant also ranked him as an elite shortstop, worth seven outs above average in 2025.
With Bogaerts' return, Padres manager Mike Shildt announced that Jake Cronenworth would move back to second base and Luis Arraez would play first base or DH.
It's not all good news for the Padres, however. Fernando Tatis Jr. remains out of the lineup as he battles an illness. Cassavell reports that Tatis might miss Wednesday's game as well.
The Padres enter Tuesday's game — the middle of a three-game set — 2.5 games behind the Dodgers in the West, and with a playoff spot already secured. If the postseason started today, they would be the 5 seed, set to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in a best-of-three first-round series.
“The most important thing is feeling good these couple days, and just keep the momentum going as a team,” Bogaerts said.
