Xander

Bogaerts

Bogaerts was able to shake it off initially after getting hit by a 94-mph fastball, but Sung-Mon Song then replaced him at shortstop. He’s likely day-to-day.

He should be back in the Padres lineup tonight against the Orioles. Fantasy managers in daily transaction leagues can put him back in their lineups as well.

Bogaerts will be away from the Padres for up to three days. The 33-year-old will be replaced on the roster by Will Wagner.

It appears to be just a routine recovery day for Merrill, who is hitting a rough .215/.287/.342 in his first 41 games of the season with four homers and eight stolen bases. He’ll sit against LHP Kyle Harrison and the Padres will send Bryce Johnson out in his stead in center field while bumping Xander Bogaerts further up the order.

Bogaerts put the Padres on the board with a solo homer off Logan Webb in the second inning. He later plated a second run on a groundout in the fourth, drew a walk in the fifth, and ended his day with a single in the ninth. The 33-year-old shortstop is hitting .270/.352/.429 with six homers, 16 runs scored, 20 RBI, and four steals across 142 plate appearances.

Bogaerts put the Padres on the board with a solo homer off of Edward Cabrera to lead off the second inning. It was a 108.3 mph blast for his fifth homer of the season. He later drew a walk in the fourth, stole second, then scored on a base hit. The 33-year-old shortstop is having a solid season at the dish so far, hitting .286/.364/.448 with 14 runs scored, 17 RBI, and three steals across 118 plate appearances.

Bogaerts and Ramón Laureano, who had three hits and two RBI today, have been the Padres’ most productive regulars this season, but while that got Laureano a promotion to the leadoff spot, Bogaerts still isn’t batting any higher than fifth. It’s kind of funny, since the Padres initially thought about using Bogaerts in the leadoff spot and dropping Fernando Tatis Jr. to cleanup this year. Bogaerts, though, keeps hitting below Tatis, Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado despite having the better OPS by 150-200 points.

Bogaerts knocked a base hit in the second inning, then drove in two runs for the Padres with a single in the third. He later drove in a third RBI with a single in the eighth for his third hit of the game. The 33-year-old shortstop is hitting .270/.333/.397 with two homers, four runs scored, 11 RBI, and two steals across 69 plate appearances.

It will be the first time that Tatis starts at second base. The 27-year-old is a former shortstop and plenty athletic, so it shouldn’t be too difficult a transition; even if there are some growing pains. Nick Castellanos will be the right fielder, Jake Cronenworth will handle shortstop and Xander Bogaerts is on the bench to begin Saturday’s game.

In what had been a wild back-and-forth affair throughout the night, Bogaerts finally delivered the crushing blow as he ambushed a 1-0 sinker from Valente Bellozo for a 399-foot (108.3 mph EV) game-winning blast. Bogaerts finished the day 2-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and is now slashing .241/.281/.389 with two homers and eight RBI on the season.