Padres Make Xander Bogaerts Decision Before Rangers Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is in his thirteenth major-league season and third with the San Diego Padres. He previously spent ten seasons with the Boston Red Sox, making his debut at age 20 in 2013.

During his decade in Boston, Bogaerts won World Series titles in 2013 and 2018 and earned four All-Star selections, emerging as one of the game’s brightest young stars.

After posting an .830-plus OPS for a fifth consecutive year and demonstrating remarkable durability in Boston, he signed a massive 11-year, $280 million contract with San Diego before the 2023 season. The long-term deal underscored the Padres’ belief in his ability to deliver both elite offense and postseason experience. However, his production has dipped in San Diego—with OPS numbers below .700 in both 2024 and 2025.

During Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers, Bogaerts exited the game in the bottom of the tenth inning with the bases loaded after grabbing his right hamstring on a swing. 

Today, the Padres made the decision to place him back in the lineup batting fifth and starting at shortstop.

Saturday night baseball. pic.twitter.com/aFeZcKTE4g

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 5, 2025

This marks the second time in a week he’s left a game with a cramp, after exiting last Sunday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds for the same reason.

In 85 games this season, Bogaerts is batting .255 with a .694 OPS and just five home runs, signaling a significant decline in his power.

Entering Saturday, San Diego sits 47–40—just a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the wild-card race—so Bogaerts’s availability and any uptick in performance will be pivotal to the Padres’ push for October baseball.

Related: MLB Announces Manny Machado News Before Nationals-Padres

Related: Padres Make Manny Machado Request Before Phillies Game

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.

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