Padres receive ray of hope with Xander Bogaerts ahead of hopeful playoff return

The San Diego Padres need Xander Bogaerts. The veteran shortstop has not played since August 27 after he fouled a ball off his foot, which sent him to the injured list with a left foot fracture.

Since then, the Friars are 4-8, including a 3-6 start to September. Although the 33-year-old has not been an All-Star in 2025, his replacements at shortstop have not been much of a help overall during his absence. This came at a terrible time, as Bogaerts was starting to get hot at the plate, all while the Padres were dealing with other injuries sustained by Jason Adam and Michael King.

The Padres were on the brink of tipping over, but now there is some hope that Bogaerts may be ready to play come October. Bogaerts has started his rehab process, and he's been cleared for baseball activity.

Padres need Xander Bogaerts in the lineup more than they had thought

It's been a bit of a puzzle at shortstop for Padres manager Mike Shildt. With Bogaerts gone, there have been defensive replacements and switches at the position, but we have mainly seen Mason McCoy and Jose Iglesias man the spot.

Iglesias is batting 5-for-26 (.192) since Bogaerts hit the injured list, and McCoy is 1-for-7. Neither of these guys are expected to carry the load, but neither have shown they can produce much as San Diego is looking to chase down the Dodgers in the NL West standings. It's a tough situation for these two players, but every game counts, and they aren't capitalizing on these more consistent opportunities.

At the very least, as long as the Padres are staying afloat as a team, fans can hopefully look forward to Bogaerts returning to the lineup in time for the postseason. He hasn't been a star, but removing 124 hits from any team's lineup will sting.