It's going to be a tough final month for the San Diego Padres this regular season. Entering Saturday, the Padres are just two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West.
The Padres have lost four of the last five, but manager Mike Shildt and the team will look to turn things around as they go against the Minnesota Twins in a weekend series.
San Diego, unfortunately, lost Xander Bogaerts from the lineup after revealing that the $280 million shortstop suffered a possible regular-season-ending non-displaced left foot fracture on Aug. 27.
Mike Shildt believes Xander Bogaerts will return sometime this season
Xander Bogaerts was placed on the Padres' injured list on Aug. 29, but manager Mike Schildt believes that the shortstop could still make a return for the postseason.
"At the moment, medical, including Bogey most importantly, doesn’t feel like this is going to be season-ending. It’s just going to be some period of time, and (I) don’t like to put any timetable on it," Shildt told The Athletic.
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Bogaerts' regular season could be over. If he doesn't return before October, the 32-year-old will finish 2025 hitting .262 with a .330 on-base percentage, .387 slugging percentage, and a .717 OPS, along with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 131 games.
After the news, the Padres recalled infielder Mason McCoy from Triple-A El Paso. Jose Iglesias has handled shortstop duties since Xander Bogaerts left the lineup and will continue to do so in Saturday's game against the Twins.