May 14, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) points out to the outfield after scoring during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – The Padres’ playoff push just got a lot tougher. Before Friday’s opener of their weekend series in Minnesota, San Diego placed Xander Bogaerts on the 10-day injured list with a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. The shortstop fouled a ball off the foot in Wednesday’s loss to Seattle and, while he gutted out the at-bat in the ninth inning, the damage was done.
The injury almost certainly ends Bogaerts’ regular season. Non-displaced fractures typically require six to eight weeks of recovery, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. That leaves a narrow window for a potential October return. The good news? Because the bone remains aligned, surgery won’t be necessary, and the team hasn’t ruled out Bogaerts being ready if the Padres make a deep run.
“Expect Bogaerts has a chance,” is how the Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee framed it, noting that the club sees a sliver of postseason hope. For now, though, manager Mike Shildt is forced to patch the infield. Veteran Jose Iglesias was immediately penciled in at shortstop and slotted seventh in Friday’s lineup against the Twins. Mason McCoy, a defense-first infielder recalled from Triple-A El Paso, gives the roster depth, but Iglesias looks like the everyday option while Bogaerts recovers.
Losing Bogaerts is no small blow. Signed as a cornerstone just last year, the 31-year-old has steadied the left side of the infield and given San Diego’s lineup length. Without him, the Padres will lean harder on the versatility of Jake Cronenworth and the veteran savvy of Iglesias. Shildt admitted Cronenworth would have shifted to shortstop in a pinch on Wednesday, but for now he remains at second base.
The timing couldn’t be more dramatic. San Diego enters the weekend trailing the Dodgers by two games in the National League West, though the gap is effectively three because Los Angeles owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Padres are also one game back of the Cubs for the top NL Wild Card spot, but comfortably seven games clear of Cincinnati for a berth of any kind. And, importantly, their schedule is the softest in baseball over the final 28 games.
This team has already shown it can win in unconventional ways. Fernando Tatis Jr. has turned himself into a Platinum Glove–caliber right fielder, Jackson Merrill has impressed in center, and the bullpen’s “Four Horsemen” remain as steady as any group in the majors. Still, subtracting a bat and glove like Bogaerts leaves a void no easy shuffle can fix.
For fans, the storyline writes itself: the Padres have just over a month to stay hot, capitalize on a favorable schedule, and hope their $280 million shortstop can get cleared for October. The margins are slim, the Dodgers loom, and the Cubs are in the way. But the chance to get Bogaerts back for a postseason run is the carrot dangling at the end of a long and bumpy road.
Until then, it’s Jose Iglesias’ job at shortstop. Padres fans, get ready—this final stretch just became a true test of San Diego’s depth and resilience.
