SAN FRANCISCO -- Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts exited Wednesday night’s game in San Francisco with soreness in his left shoulder, manager Mike Shildt confirmed after the game -- a 6-5 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park.
In the sixth inning, Bogaerts was replaced on defense by Jose Iglesias -- and he would later acknowledge that he’s been dealing with discomfort in that shoulder for “a couple days,” though he couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Last season, Bogaerts fractured that very shoulder while diving for a ground ball and missed two months. He said the soreness felt similar to the soreness he dealt with while rehabbing that injury.
“I’ve been having it for a couple days now,” Bogaerts said. “It’s just there. … On defense, nothing, I don’t have no problems on defense. Same thing as last year, too. When I catch, I don’t feel anything. Only hitting, pretty much.”
Wednesday marked the first time the ailment rose to the level where Bogaerts’ availability was impacted. In the immediate aftermath, the Padres did not have any details on a timeline for Bogaerts’ return.
Bogaerts has not undergone imaging on the shoulder -- only tests and treatment done by the team’s training staff. It’s unclear whether imaging will be necessary. He seemed to indicate he didn’t think the injury would be long term.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Bogaerts said. “I normally heal quick. Maybe a couple days or so, and hopefully we’re good.”
It has been a rough season for Bogaerts at the plate. He’s hitting just .238 with a .651 OPS, both career lows. If his current shoulder discomfort is impacting his ability to hit, some time to heal is clearly for the best.
The Padres have Iglesias as a ready-made replacement at short while Bogaerts is out. But Iglesias is best used as a utility piece moving around the infield as matchups dictate. Bogaerts, meanwhile, is still a valuable presence in the lineup, and he has been solid defensively this season.
“Shoulder was sore -- left shoulder,” Shildt said. “I haven’t heard anything more. Hopefully we’ll hear something favorable.”
At the time of Bogaerts’ departure from Wednesday’s game, the Padres led 5-1. (They previously led 5-0.) The Giants hadn’t scored five runs in a game in nearly three weeks. But they stormed back nonetheless, scoring twice in the sixth and three times in the seventh.
Starter Nick Pivetta was sharp early but came undone late, allowing five runs over six-plus innings. When he exited in the seventh, the Padres still clung to a two-run lead. But setup man Jason Adam allowed a pair of inherited runners to score on Heliot Ramos’ double. Jung Hoo Lee followed with a sacrifice fly, plating the eventual winning run.
It marked the third consecutive one-run game in what’s been a wild series between two National League West rivals.
“No lack of drama,” Shildt said. “Another one-run game. A 5-0 lead, and we weren’t able to bring it home.”
The Padres can still win the series with a victory in Thursday’s series finale with Dylan Cease on the mound against the Giants’ Robbie Ray. It’s unlikely Bogaerts will be available for it. Beyond that, his status is unclear.