A fractured bone in his left shoulder cost Xander Bogaerts nearly two months last year.
Soreness in the same shoulder forced Bogaerts to exit Wednesday’s game in the sixth inning and will send the 32-year-old veteran to the bench for Thursday’s series finale in San Francisco.
First pitch is at 12:45 p.m. on Padres.TV.
Bogarts told reporters late Thursday night that he’d’ been dealing with the soreness for a couple of days.
“I normally heal quick,” Bogaerts said. “Hopefully, a couple days or so.”
Maybe the bat could use a reset.
Bogaerts is hitting .143/.182/.190 over his last six games and is hitting .238/.321/.330 to start his third season with the Padres.
The trajectory of his Padres arch has been in the wrong direction.
Bogaerts posted a .790 OPS in 2023, a .688 OPS last year and is at .651 through 60 games this year.
Jose Iglesias replaced Bogaerts at shortstop on Wednesday and is back at the position on Thursday, batting sixth between designated hitter Gavin Sheets and second baseman Jake Cronenworth.
Series finale in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/ri0BBU2d95
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 5, 2025
The 35-year-old Iglesias is hitting .246/.304/.289 in 40 games while seeing starts at second base (23), shortstop (4), third base (4) and even left field (1).
With Sheets at DH, Brandon Lockridge will get a second straight start in left field and in the eight-hole.
Martín Maldonado will catch and bat ninth.
Wednesday’s loss kept the Padres (35-25) from pulling into a virtual tie with the Dodgers (37-25) atop the NL West.
Here is how the Giants (34-28), who scored more than four runs on Wednesday for the first time since May 16, will line up for the series finale:
Today’s #SFGiants lineup pic.twitter.com/ouFShpJxLt
— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) June 5, 2025
Thursday’s pitching matchup
Padres Dylan Cease (1-4, 4.66 ERA)
While the Padres are 7-5 in Cease’s starts, he has not earned a win since April 6 and has just four quality starts this year. Cease has a 4.86 RA over his last starts, striking out 20 against just three walks but allowing 16 hits and three homers over 16 ⅔ innings. Cease went 1-2 in four starts against the Giants last year (3.18 ERA), striking out 27 against eight walks.
Here is how he’s fared against current Giants:
Giants LHP Robbie Ray (7-1, 2.43 ERA)
The 2021 AL Cy Young winner has a 3.12 ERA in 101 innings since returning from injury last year with the Giants. The former Diamondback has a 4.27 ERA in 18 career starts (97 IP) against the Padres, but he has not faced them since 2020. He is the reigning NL pitcher of the month as he went 4-1 with a 1.38 ERA, 45 strikeouts and an 0.87 WHIP over six starts (39 IP).
Here is how Ray has fared against current Padres:
