If the San Diego Padres are going to win the NL West, they’re going to have to do it without Xander Bogaerts.
The All-Star shortstop hit the 10-day injured list due to a non-displaced fracture in his left foot, the team announced Friday. Infielder Mason McCoy was called up from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.
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Bogaerts sustained the injury by fouling a ball off the foot in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners. He stayed in the game, but subsequent testing apparently revealed the fracture.
Per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, Bogaerts is not expected to return before the end of the regular season. However, he does have a chance to come back during the postseason.
With Bogaerts out, utility man Jose Iglesias is the natural choice to take over at shortstop for San Diego.
Even if he does return for the playoffs, losing the 32-year-old is a tough blow for the Padres as they fight the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West title. San Diego entered Friday two games behind the Dodgers, who also own the tiebreaker.
Xander Bogaerts had a painful and costly final at-bat on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Since the start of July, the Padres have managed to shrink an 8.5-game deficit and even took the division lead at a couple of points, but with one month left, they still have some work to do.
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Regardless of the Dodgers’ fortunes, San Diego is positioned to make the playoffs, as the Padres hold the second NL wild-card spot and are three games ahead of the Mets for the third and final wild-card.
While Bogaerts so far has not lived up to his 11-year, $280 million contract, his combined .292/.353/.431 hitting in June and July helped keep the division competitive. He was slumping again before his injury, but the Padres were probably going to be fine betting on a bounce back.
Now, they have to wait until at least October for Bogaerts’ return.