SAN DIEGO- The Padres roster took some hits with starter Ryan Bergert placed on the 15-day IL and shortstop Xander Bogaerts ruled out of Tuesday’s game.
Bergert was placed on the IL with a right forearm contusion after getting hit by a comebacker in the fourth inning of Monday’s game against the Nationals. Reliever Sean Reynolds was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday morning.
Bergert (1-0, 2.67) has been great in the rotation with Michael King, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove still out. A thin Friars pitching staff will have to rely on their bullpen more than ever during this 15-game stretch.
Bogaerts was scratched from Tuesday morning’s lineup with left shoulder stiffness. After a slow start, Bogaerts has just started to get his bat going. He is slashing .440/.517/.680 in his last seven games. The Padres look to get him back in the lineup as soon as possible.
First baseman Luis Arraez moves up to leadoff ahead of Tuesday’s game against Washington. Batting first is not new to Arraez, batting leadoff for most of his career and all of last season.
Third baseman Manny Machado moves up to second, with center fielder Jackson Merrill moving to the three-spot.
The big change is right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. dropping to cleanup. Earlier in the season Manager Mike Shildt was adamant about Tatis batting leadoff, but seems to be more open to moving him around following their offense’s recent struggles.
It can be difficult for a hitter to catch a rhythm and get comfortable when moving around in a lineup quite a lot. Shildt has been experimenting with the Friars’ lineup since the series loss against the Dodgers. Time will tell when he finds the lineup that benefits the clubhouse the most.
First pitch for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals is at 1:10 p.m.